Yesterday, on the occasion of Egypt’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) pre-session, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Egyptian Commission on Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) called on States to address Egypt’s dire human rights record, including the Egyptian authorities’ widespread use of torture, enforced disappearance, and arbitrary detention against journalists, human rights defenders and perceived dissidents. On 28 January 2025, the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the UPR will address States’ human rights recommendations to Egypt as part of the fourth cycle of the country’s UPR.
Despite accepting a number of recommendations during its previous UPR cycle in 2019, Egypt has continued to perpetrate torture and enforced disappearance against perceived detractors and to systematically subject journalists, human rights defenders, and perceived dissidents to prolonged arbitrary detention and prosecution.
Between 2019 and June 2024, the Egyptian authorities’ use of torture against political opponents, human rights defenders, and activists continued to be so widespread and systematic as to amount to a crime against humanity. Moreover, between 2015 and 2021, the authorities resorted systematically to enforced disappearances, including against opposition figures, with 4,253 individuals forcibly disappeared over that period at the headquarters of the National Security Agency and other official and unofficial detention facilities.
The practice of Tadweer, which has continued unabated since 2019, has facilitated the Egyptian authorities’ widespread use of torture and enforced disappearance. Tadweer, through which the Egyptian authorities bring consecutive criminal cases against individuals on similar charges relating to facts for which they have already been detained or prosecuted with a view to retaining “suspects” in indefinite pre-trial detention, is incompatible with an accused’s rights to be tried within a reasonable time and to freedom from arbitrary detention.
Additionally, since Egypt’s last UPR in 2019, the Egyptian authorities have continued to impose and carry out death sentences, including against perceived political opponents, often following fundamentally flawed criminal proceedings, such as the trials before the Emergency State Security Court (ESSC). The Egyptian President exercises a strong influence over the ESSC, in violation of the right to be tried by an impartial and independent tribunal.
As part of the current UPR process, the ICJ made two joint stakeholder submissions: one with the Egyptian Commission on Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) and one with Redress, recommending that Egypt address the abovementioned egregious human rights violations. The ICJ calls on States to call on Egypt to adopt these recommendations during the 48th Session of the UPR Working Group and, in particular, to:
- Promptly, thoroughly, independently, and impartially investigate all allegations of torture and ill-treatment and bring to justice State officials and law enforcement officers suspected of carrying out, ordering, instigating or acquiescing in torture and enforced disappearances;
- Promptly, thoroughly, and impartially investigate all allegations of torture and enforced disappearance;
- Accede to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and enact a crime of enforced disappearance in the Egyptian Penal Code consistent with article 2 of the Convention;
- Abolish the death penalty in all circumstances and, pending abolition, implement an immediate moratorium on all executions; and
- Uphold fair trial guarantees, including by ending the practice of Tadweer, abolishing the ESSC, and quashing convictions and sentences issued by it.
Background
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process that allows United Nations Member States to examine each other’s human rights records and offer recommendations. Each State undergoes several cycles of review, and each cycle lasts four-and-half years.
During the Pre-Sessions, local and international civil society organizations (CSOs) can directly inform permanent missions about the human rights situation in the State under review, and help permanent missions gather complete and up-to-date information in a short period of time by meeting with multiple CSOs simultaneously.
Downloads
ICJ Joint Submission with ECRF on Egypt for the 4th Cycle of the UPR
ICJ Joint Submission with Redress on Egypt for the 4th Cycle of the UPR
Contact
Saïd Benarbia, Director, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme; t: +41 22 979 3817, e: said.benarbia(a)icj.org
Nour Al Hajj, Communications & Advocacy Officer, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme; e: nour.alhajj(a)icj.org