The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights is facing renewed pressure to address Egypt’s escalating human rights crisis. In a statement made on Thursday, 22 organizations called for decisive action following the commission’s recent review of Egypt’s human rights record during its 85th session. Rights groups contend that both the Egyptian government and the commission’s country rapporteur have presented reports that fail to accurately reflect the severe abuses occurring in the country.
Egypt’s official report, which covers the period from 2019 to 2024, denies the existence of detained journalists or political prisoners and portrays restrictions on civil society as efforts to enhance “transparency.” Similarly, the country rapporteur’s report neglects to mention widespread violations, referring to the 2023 presidential election as “peaceful” and “competitive,” despite substantial evidence of repression and the criminalization of assembly, expression, and association.
Critics have pointed out that a 2024 “familiarization visit” by the rapporteur did not include meetings with independent Egyptian human rights organizations, further questioning the credibility of the commission’s findings. Reports from outside official submissions depict a starkly different reality. Over the past decade, Egypt has imprisoned thousands of peaceful critics, journalists, political figures, human rights defenders, labor organizers, and protesters under broad terrorism and “false news” charges.
Persistent patterns of enforced disappearance, systematic torture, and prolonged pretrial detention have been documented by rights groups and various UN mechanisms. Detainees often face renewed charges through the “rotation” of cases, complicating their legal battles. Authorities have also taken steps to suppress dissent by shutting down hundreds of news and civil society websites, dispersing small demonstrations, and conducting preemptive mass arrests ahead of anticipated protests related to economic hardships and electricity shortages.
Prominent figures such as Alaa Abdel Fattah, lawyer Hoda Abdel Moneim, and political challenger Ahmed Tantawy remain imprisoned or face renewed charges despite having served previous sentences. Structural changes since 2019 have entrenched security powers, with constitutional amendments expanding military authority. Counterterrorism and cybercrime laws have remained broad, while a proposed Criminal Procedure Code has drawn international criticism for undermining fair trial standards and enabling prolonged detention without adequate judicial oversight.
Rights organizations have highlighted the absence of accountability for deaths in custody, allegations of torture, and previous incidents involving mass killings of protesters. The African Commission has previously issued several resolutions identifying Egypt’s violations of the African Charter, including mass death sentences and restrictions on journalists. Notably, it has not adopted a new resolution on Egypt since 2015, despite the ongoing deterioration of the human rights situation.
The coalition of rights groups is urging the African Commission to issue a new resolution and ensure that its concluding observations are based on an evidence-driven assessment of current conditions. They advocate for stronger public engagement, urgent appeals to the Egyptian government, and a dedicated follow-up mechanism under Rule 112 to monitor the implementation of recommendations. The organizations also warned that the ongoing patterns of arbitrary detention, abuse in custody, and counterterrorism operations may necessitate the use of the commission’s early-warning powers to notify the African Union Peace and Security Council.
In light of these concerns, the coalition has called for any future session of the African Commission to be held in Egypt to be contingent upon verifiable guarantees that all participants, including domestic critics, can safely enter, participate, and leave the country without fear of intimidation or reprisals. The situation continues to evolve, and the international community is urged to remain vigilant in advocating for the protection of human rights in Egypt.
