Highlights the situations of the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa
As the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights comes to an end, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) highlights its participation through the oral statements delivered on the following human rights situations requiring the Commission’s attention.
Egypt
The ICJ stressed that the executive continues to act to subordinate the judiciary to its effective control, enabling widespread and systematic human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment, including—against political opponents, journalists, and human rights defenders, amounting to crimes against humanity. The new Criminal Procedure Code would entrench prosecutorial powers while diminishing defence rights and victims’ access to justice. Notable cases, such as those of political satirist Ashraf Omar, economist Dr. Abdel Khaleq Farouq, and opposition figure Ahmad Tantawi, illustrate the government’s targeting of peaceful dissent. Additionally, in a mass trial before the East Cairo Military Court in 2021, 184 defendants with alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood political movement were subjected to spurious prosecution. Some 111 defendants were credibly alleged to have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment by the National Security Agency, who then extracted forced “confessions” from the detainees, which were later unlawfully admitted as evidence by the Military Court.
Libya
The ICJ also denounced the continued use of repressive laws, such as Law No. 19 of 2001, to unduly restrict the activities of civil society organizations (CSOs), especially those working on human rights. CSOs typically face intrusive oversight, are excluded from legal and political processes, and operate under constant threat of intimidation or closure, with some persons subject to arbitrary detention. On 2 April 2025, the Internal Security Agency shut down the offices of ten international humanitarian NGOs supporting migrants.
The ICJ further raised concerns over the lack of access to justice for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), despite Libya’s ratification of the Maputo Protocol. Survivors often face stigma, retaliation, and prosecution under discriminatory laws. Women and girls, especially from marginalized communities, are often denied justice due to systemic legal and practical barriers.
Tunisia
The authorities continue to instrumentalize the criminal justice system to silence freedom of expression, often targeting lawyers, journalists, political opponents, and human rights defenders using vague “counter-terrorism” and “fake news” charges. The prosecution and imprisonment of figures such as lawyer and journalist Sonia Dahmani, lawyer Ahmed Souab, and journalists Mourad Zeghidi and Borhen Bsaiess exemplify this repression. The mass conviction of 37 public figures in April 2025, including defence lawyers, is a reflection of the dismantling of judicial independence.
Eswatini
The legal profession continues to face serious threats, including from public authorities. A number of lawyers have experienced harassment, intimidation, and unwarranted surveillance in the course of their work. The extrajudicial killing of prominent human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko in January 2023 starkly illustrates the deadly risks associated with legal advocacy in the country. The government’s persistent failure to ensure judicial independence and protect legal professionals undermines the administration of justice and violates key principles of the African Charter and the Commission’s Guidelines on the Right to a Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa. Such conditions severely compromise fair trial rights and the rule of law, leaving many individuals without access to impartial justice.
Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The ICJ called attention to its recently concluded study concerning the implementation of State obligations regarding the rights of persons with disabilities in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The ICJ highlighted how women and girls with disabilities continue to face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, especially in accessing justice and essential services such as sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Against this backdrop, the ICJ welcomed the entry into force of the Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa and urged the Commission to develop guidelines for periodic reporting under article 34. These should be created in consultation with States, civil society, and persons with disabilities to ensure robust accountability and implementation, in line with existing reporting mechanisms under other African human rights instruments.
Read the full statements
- ICJ Statement under Item 5: Activity Report of the Chairperson of the Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities (Africa region)
- ICJ Statement under Item 5: Report of Chairperson of the ACHPR on activities of the Chairperson & Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Reprisals in Africa (Libya)
- ICJ Statement under Item 5: Activity report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa (Libya and Africa region)
- ICJ Statement under Item 3: Statements on Human Rights Situation in Africa (Egypt, Eswatini, and Tunisia)
- ICJ Statement under Item 5: Activity Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa (Tunisia and Egypt)
- ICJ Statement under Item 5: Intersession activity report of the Chairperson of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (Egypt)
Contact
Saïd Benarbia, Director, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme; t: +41 22 979 3800, e: said.benarbia@icj.org
Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, Director, ICJ Africa Regional Programme; e: kaajal.keogh@icj.org
Nour Al Hajj, Communications & Advocacy Officer, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme; e: nour.alhajj@icj.org
