Advocacy / Egypt
Global legal community calls on Egypt to release human rights lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer
The undersigned members of the global legal community stand in solidarity with Egyptian lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer as he awaits his verdict on baseless criminal charges on December 20, 2021, following years of reprisal by the Egyptian state. The signatories call on the Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against el-Baqer, to promptly release him unconditionally, and to lift the restrictive measures imposed on him for his work as an attorney. They further call on the Egyptian authorities to halt the targeting of Egyptian lawyers for their legal defense work and exercise of fundamental freedoms.
Joint letter calls on Egypt to immediately release journalist Tawfik Ghanem after 150 days in detention
Eleven human rights organizations call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release 66-year-old journalist Tawfik Ghanem who has been arbitrarily detained for 150 days solely because of his media work. Pending his release, Ghanem should be granted immediate access to medical care.
Call for the immediate and unconditional release of Egyptian human rights defender Abdulrahman Tarek as he receives Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Award
On the occasion of awarding human rights defender Abdulrahman Tarek, the Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Award, 10 organisations urged the Egyptian authorities to immediately release him and end all violations against him.
Biden decision to grant military aid to Egypt a betrayal of human rights commitments
In a joint statement, MENA Rights and 18 human rights groups condemned Biden's decision to grant military aid to Egypt, despite the U.S. administration's vow to put human rights at the centre of its foreign policy.
Joint letter calls on U.S. Congress to ensure Egypt halts imminent execution of 12 Raba’a sit-in defendants and ends all unjust death sentences
On August 4, 2021, several organisations called on members of the U.S. Congress and the Biden administration to use their leverage to ensure that the Egyptian president immediately halts the imminent execution of 12 men sentenced to death in a mass trial in relation to the Raba’a sit-in case and promptly ends the use of all unjust death sentences.
Call on U.S. policy makers to halt Egypt’s efforts to silence human rights defenders at home and abroad
Several organisations urge the U.S. government to take action against Egypt’s attempts to repress rights and freedoms in Egypt and stigmatise the work of Egyptian human rights defenders both nationally and abroad. They call on the U.S. administration to condemn Egypt’s efforts to silence Egyptian-American human rights advocate and former political prisoner Mohamed Soltan.
Coalition of NGOs calls for immediate release of human rights lawyer Mohamed El Baqer on his 41st birthday
A global coalition urges the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mohamed El Baqer, the founder of the Adalah Centre for Rights and Freedoms. He has been arbitrarily detained for more than 21 months without charge or trial for his human rights work.
Call on Egyptian president to overturn the sentencing of researcher and activist Ahmed Samir Santawy following unfair trial
More than 60 human rights organisations signed a letter to urge Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to repeal the verdict against Ahmed Amir Santawy. The Egyptian-Austrian student and researcher was sentenced by an emergency court to four years in prison on charges of publishing “false news”. He had been criticising human rights violations and the government’s mishandling of the pandemic on social media.
Joint letter calls on Egypt to urgently address serious human rights concerns raised by several UN rights bodies
On June 1, 2021, 63 NGOs called on the Egyptian government to urgently address the serious human rights concerns raised by several UN bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council and several Special Procedure mandate holders. The Egyptian authorities have been critised for their crackdown on independent organisations and peaceful dissent through repressive measures such as arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and torture for years and have yet to take the necessary steps to bring their actions in line with their international human rights obligations.
Coalition of NGOs urges the US government to not waive conditions for Egypt aid
In a joint letter to US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, Jake Sullivan, a coalition of international rights organisations has called on the US government to maintain human rights standards as conditions for providing military aid to Egypt.