Twenty-two advocacy organizations have urged the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to confront Egypt's deteriorating civil liberties record after officials delivered what critics characterized as whitewashed assessments during the commission's 85th session. Cairo's submission denied holding political detainees or suppressing media workers, while the country rapporteur avoided documenting systematic abuses and portrayed recent elections as legitimate despite evidence of candidate prosecutions and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
Independent monitoring groups have documented mass arbitrary detention of activists, labor organizers, and opposition figures under sweeping terrorism statutes alongside patterns of enforced disappearances and torture within custody. Constitutional amendments since 2019 have expanded military jurisdiction while proposed criminal procedure reforms would weaken judicial oversight of prolonged pretrial confinement. The commission has not issued fresh findings on Egypt since 2015, despite previous rulings that identified charter violations.
The coalition called for evidence-based assessments, dedicated follow-up protocols, and preconditions ensuring participant safety before permitting any future commission gatherings on Egyptian territory.
Independent monitoring groups have documented mass arbitrary detention of activists, labor organizers, and opposition figures under sweeping terrorism statutes alongside patterns of enforced disappearances and torture within custody. Constitutional amendments since 2019 have expanded military jurisdiction while proposed criminal procedure reforms would weaken judicial oversight of prolonged pretrial confinement. The commission has not issued fresh findings on Egypt since 2015, despite previous rulings that identified charter violations.
The coalition called for evidence-based assessments, dedicated follow-up protocols, and preconditions ensuring participant safety before permitting any future commission gatherings on Egyptian territory.
