Twenty-two human rights organizations have called upon the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to take urgent action to address Egypt’s ongoing human rights crisis. This appeal follows the commission’s recent 85th session, where reports from both the Egyptian government and the commission’s country rapporteur were presented. Rights groups have criticized these reports for misrepresenting or overlooking critical human rights abuses in the country.
The official Egyptian report covering the years from 2019 to 2024 denied the existence of detained journalists or prisoners of conscience. It framed restrictions on civil society as necessary measures to promote “transparency.” Similarly, the country rapporteur’s report failed to acknowledge widespread violations, describing the 2023 presidential election as “peaceful” and “competitive.” This characterization contradicts extensive documentation revealing repression, the prosecution of potential candidates, and the effective criminalization of assembly, expression, and association.
A visit by the country rapporteur in 2024 has faced criticism for lacking engagement with independent Egyptian human rights organizations. While official reports present a sanitized view, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Over the past decade, the Egyptian government has detained thousands of peaceful critics, journalists, political figures, and human rights defenders under broad charges related to terrorism and “false news.”
Reports from rights groups and United Nations mechanisms highlight persistent patterns of enforced disappearance, systematic torture, and prolonged pretrial detention. Detainees often find themselves subjected to a practice known as “rotation,” where they are placed into new cases with similar accusations after their initial detention periods expire. Authorities have also cracked down on civil society, blocking hundreds of news and civil society websites, dispersing small protests, and conducting preemptive mass arrests in anticipation of demonstrations related to economic hardships and electricity outages.
Prominent figures such as blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, lawyer Hoda Abdel Moneim, and political challenger Ahmed Tantawy continue to face imprisonment or new charges, despite having already served prior sentences. Structural changes implemented since 2019 have further solidified the power of security forces. Constitutional amendments have expanded military authority, while counterterrorism and cybercrime laws remain broadly defined. Additionally, a draft Criminal Procedure Code has drawn international condemnation for undermining fair-trial protections and allowing prolonged detention without meaningful judicial oversight.
The issue of accountability remains a significant concern, with rights organizations noting a lack of investigations into deaths in custody and allegations of torture. Past incidents, including mass killings of protesters, have also gone unaddressed. The African Commission has previously issued several resolutions indicating that Egypt is in violation of the African Charter, identifying issues such as mass death sentences and restrictions on journalists. Nonetheless, the commission has not adopted a new resolution on Egypt since 2015, even as the situation continues to deteriorate.
In their recent statement, the coalition of rights organizations urged the commission to issue a new resolution that accurately reflects the current conditions in Egypt. They called for stronger public engagement, immediate appeals to the Egyptian government, and the establishment of a dedicated follow-up mechanism under Rule 112. This mechanism would track the implementation of recommendations aimed at improving human rights practices in Egypt.
The organizations also warned that the ongoing patterns of arbitrary detention, abuse in custody, and counterterrorism operations may necessitate the use of the commission’s early-warning powers to alert the African Union Peace and Security Council. Furthermore, they stated that any proposal to hold a future session of the African Commission in Egypt must include verifiable guarantees that all participants, including domestic critics, can safely enter, participate, and leave the country without fear of intimidation or reprisals.
These developments highlight the urgent need for the African Commission to take decisive action in response to Egypt’s deepening human rights crisis.
