The Egyptian authorities must release dozens of people detained for their association with a Gen Z online group calling for political change and publishing content critical of the government, Amnesty International said today.
Since late May, officers from the National Security Agency (NSA) arrested at least 50 people, including nine women, for being part of the “Gen Z002” group on the social media platform, Discord, which called in October 2025 for toppling President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Amnesty International investigated how NSA officers arrested six men from their homes or workplaces across three governorates and subjected them to enforced disappearance for periods ranging from six to 40 days. At least one was subjected to torture or other ill-treatment.
The 50 people arrested are now being investigated in two separate cases before the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) under terrorism-related and publishing false news charges.
“It is outrageous that people in Egypt can end up arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared and at risk of torture and other ill-treatment simply for being part of an online group. Everyone has the right to join online groups and express criticism of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government. Exercising the right to freedom of expression online and offline, should never be grounds for arrest or prosecution,” said Mahmoud Shalaby, Regional Researcher at Amnesty International.
“The Egyptian authorities must immediately end the vicious cycle of abusive detention and release all those detained solely for being part of the online group or for criticizing fuel or electricity price increases or commenting on social media about their daily struggles. Authorities must immediately stop using terrorism-related charges to prosecute people for exercising their right to freedom of expression.”
The “Gen Z002” group was created in October 2025 by exiled activist Anas Habib, around the same time that youth-led protests took place in Nepal and Morocco. In January 2026, the group launched an online poll to vote on toppling President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and received over 330,000 responses, according to Al Manassa, an independent news website.
The group hosted a wide range of online discussions, including thread-based conversations and, at times, live voice chats about current political developments and topics trending in the Egyptian media. It also featured live discussions on football, a book club, online first aid courses, and fitness sessions.
This is not the first time that the authorities have arrested individuals in connection with “Gen Z002” group. For example, on January 25, 2026, authorities arrested an individual for being part of the Discord group and investigated him on charges of “publishing false news” and “using a website to promote ideas calling for the commission of terrorist acts.” They ordered his pretrial detention, which has since been repeatedly renewed.
According to the fact-checking platform Matsda2sh, NSA investigation records submitted to the SSSP state that the administrators of the Discord group used pseudonymous accounts and servers located outside Egypt, including in the USA, making it more difficult for the security services to identify participants.
The six detained individuals whose cases Amnesty International documented come from diverse backgrounds and age groups (19 to 46). They are school and university students, tradespeople, and public sector employees.
Following their arrest, NSA officers took the six men to NSA facilities where officers concealed their fate and whereabouts for periods ranging between six and 40 days, which amounts to enforced disappearance. Later, authorities transferred the six men to the SSSP.
Prosecutors questioned all six men about when and how they joined the “Gen Z002” Discord group. They also questioned at least two about their Facebook posts criticizing the government, including posts about electricity and fuel price increases, as well as reposts from accounts critical of the government, including those of Anas Habib. Prosecutors ordered the six men held in pretrial detention for 15 days, which has since been renewed.
A 19-year-old student told prosecutors that while he was forcibly disappeared in an NSA facility, officers questioned him on three occasions, and each time subjected him to electric shocks while hanging him in a stress position blindfolded, which would amount to torture or other ill-treatment. Prosecutors ignored his allegations and failed to refer him to forensic examination.
“Torture and enforced disappearance allegations cannot be simply brushed aside. Egyptian authorities must immediately launch an independent and transparent investigation into the student’s and other detainees’ allegations of being subjected to enforced disappearance and torture and other ill-treatment,” said Mahmoud Shalaby.
Background
For more than a decade, Egypt has waged a relentless crackdown on dissent, targeting critics and showing zero tolerance for criticism or views that differ from or question the official narrative. Thousands of people continue to languish in arbitrary detention in Egypt solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression, often online, without legal basis or following grossly unfair trials.
Egyptian security forces have a documented record of arbitrarily arresting individuals for joining online groups on different platforms such as Facebook and Telegram, an activity protected under the right to freedom of association. For example, security forces have arrested people in 2025 for participating in groups calling for anti-government protests or for being part of groups discussing atheism and agnosticism and criticizing mainstream religious beliefs.
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