Egypt

Egypt Human Rights

The authorities continued to severely restrict human rights organizations’ and political parties’ freedom of association. Constitutional amendments expanded the role of military courts in prosecuting civilians and undermined the independence of the judiciary. Following protests in September 2019, the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) ordered the detention of thousands pending investigation in relation to vaguely worded “terrorism”-related charges were investigated.

Extensive use of exceptional courts led to grossly unfair trials and, in some cases, death sentences. Executions continued. Torture remained rife in formal and informal places of detention. Conditions of detention remained dire, prompting mass hunger strikes. Women continued to face discrimination in law and practice. The authorities failed to protect women against high levels of sexual and gender-based violence. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in detention were forcibly subjected to invasive anal and sex determination tests.

Dozens of workers and trade unionists were arbitrarily arrested and prosecuted for exercising their right to strike and protest. The authorities restricted Christians’ right to worship by closing at least 25 churches and failing to provide approval for thousands of others to be built or repaired.

Shocking Reprisal Against Leading Human Rights Group

The Egyptian authorities arrested and detained three leaders of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, one of the last independent human rights organizations in the country. The arrests came shortly after the group met visiting diplomats from the European Union to discuss human rights. Amnesty believes the arrests reflect a continuing determination by the government to muzzle civil society and to send a challenge to any in the international community that would criticize the country’s human rights record. The three men were released on Dec. 3, 2020, but they continue to face unfounded terrorism charges. Human rights workers continue to be subjected to travel bans, asset freezes, and criminal investigations  Read More

The latest wave of arrests targeting critics, opposition leaders, activists and journalists under the guise of counterterrorism is part of the Egyptian authorities’ systematic persecution and brutal crackdown on anyone who dares to criticize them. The crackdown leaves no doubt about the authorities’ vision for political life in Egypt; an open-air prison with no opposition, critics or independent reporting allowed.