Five years after the mass protests which toppled Hosni Mubarak and became known as the “25 January Revolution”, Egypt is mired in a human rights crisis of huge proportions.
“Five years after euphoric crowds celebrated the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, the hopes that the ‘25 January Revolution’ would herald a new era of reforms and respect for human rights have been truly shattered. Egyptians have been made to watch as their country reverts back to a police state,” said Said Boumedouha, Amnesty International’s Deputy Middle East and North Africa Programme Director.
“Peaceful protesters, politicians and journalists have borne the brunt of a ruthless campaign against legitimate dissent by the government and state security forces. Tens of thousands have been arrested and the country’s prisons are now overflowing, with widespread reports of torture and hundreds held without charge or trial.”