Newz briefing
Geneva: March 26, 2023
The United Nations Human Rights Committee issued its findings on Egypt on 24 March after examining the State party’s file at its last session.
The findings included the Committee’s main concerns and recommendations regarding the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as positive aspects, if any.
Arbitrary detention:
In its findings, the Committee expressed concern about reports of arbitrary detention, the systematic use of pre-trial detention, and recycling of charges to avoid statutory limits on the length of pretrial detention, a practice often used to punish journalists, human rights defenders and political opponents.
Concern about the high rate of executions:
The Committee also expressed serious concerns about the high number of crimes punishable by death, and reports indicating that the death penalty is often imposed in trials that do not meet international standards, such as mass trials and trials in military courts.
– Calls to prevent arbitrary detention and to abolish the death penalty:
The Committee urged the Egyptian authorities to respect basic procedural safeguards against arbitrary deprivation of liberty, to comply with restrictions on pretrial detention, and to adopt alternative measures to pretrial detention.
The Committee also called on Egypt to review its current legal framework to ensure that the death penalty is never imposed in violation of fair trial guarantees, and that due consideration be given to the abolition of the death penalty.
