Urgent Action update: Whereabouts of human rights lawyer unknown in Egypt

Ezzat Ghoniem, a human rights defender and co-founder and director of the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms, and Azzoz Mahgoub, a human rights lawyer at the same organization, have been forcibly disappeared since 14 September and remain detained despite a court order to release them on 4 September.

Please write immediately in Arabic, English, or your own language:

◼ Calling on the authorities to immediately reveal the fate and whereabouts of Ezzat Ghoniem and Azzoz Mahgoub;

◼ Insist that if Ezzat Ghoniem and Azzoz Mahgoub are in their custody that they are immediately and unconditionally released, as they have been detained solely for their peaceful human rights work and the exercise of their right to freedom of expression and to ensure pending their release that their human rights are protected and respected at all time, including – if they are held in custody – the right to be free from torture and other ill-treatment;

◼ Urging them to launch a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the enforced disappearance of Ezzat Ghoniem and Azzoz Mahgoub, make the results public and bring all those suspected of criminal responsibility to justice.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 02 NOVEMBER 2018 TO:

Public Prosecutor

Nabil Sadek

Office of the Public Prosecutor, Dar al-Qada al-Ali, Down Town

Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt

Fax: +202 2577 4716

Salutation: Dear Counsellor

President

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Office of the President

Al Ittihadia Palace

Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt

Fax +202 2391 1441

Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to:

Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign

Affairs for Human Rights

Ahmed Ihab Gamal-Eldin Ministry of

Foreign Affairs

Corniche el-Nile, Cairo, Egypt.

Fax: +202 2574 9713

Email: contact.us@mfa.gov.eg

Twitter: @MfaEgypt

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. HIS EXCELLENCY MR NASSER AHMED KAMEL ALI, Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, 26 South Street W1K 1DW, 020 7499 3304/2401, Fax 020 7491 1542, eg.emb_london@mfa.gov.eg and etembuk@hotmail.com

 

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 69/18. Further information: www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde12/8148/2018/en/