Saudi Arabia: Stop Extradition Of Torture Survivor To Egypt

Since 2013, thousands of individuals have been arbitrarily detained in Egypt solely for exercising their human rights or following proceedings violating fair trial rights or without legal basis. Those held include human rights defenders, political activists, members of opposition parties, trade unionists, workers, peaceful protesters, journalists, lawyers, social media influencers and members of religious minorities. During 2023, 834 prisoners held for political reasons were released, but authorities arrested triple this number. The Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) interrogated at least 2,504 suspected critics or opponents on accusations of involvement in terrorism-related offences, cybercrimes, protests and spreading “false news”. 

Those eventually referred to trial face grossly unfair proceedings, including in front of exceptional emergency courts and “terrorism circuits” of regular criminal courts on spurious charges of undermining “national security”, “terrorism” and spreading “false news.” The right to a fair trial in cases of a political nature is routinely flouted. Most frequently documented violations include the right to be tried by an independent and impartial tribunal, the right to presumption of innocence and not to incriminate oneself, the right to a public hearing, the right of the accused to be informed of any charges against them, the right to have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of their defence and the right to communicate with counsel of their own choosing.

Security forces, including the National Security Agency (NSA), continue to subject dissidents to enforced disappearance, during which they are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. According to the Stop Enforced Disappearances campaign, at least 70 individuals arrested in 2023 were subjected to enforced disappearance, with the fate and whereabouts of six remaining unknown.

Torture and other ill-treatment remain prevalent in Egypt with near total impunity. Amnesty International has consistently documented the security forces’ use of torture and other ill-treatment of detainees in Egypt’s prisons, police stations and NSA-controlled facilities. Methods of torture consistently reported by victims and witnesses include beatings, electric shocks, suspension by the limbs, indefinite solitary confinement, sexual abuse, beatings, deliberate denial of healthcare and indefinite solitary confinement in inhumane conditions. The Egyptian authorities systematically failed to carry out effective investigations into the causes and circumstances of these deaths in custody and bring those responsible to justice.

Prisoners continued to be held in conditions violating the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment, including through deliberate denial of healthcare, prolonged solitary confinement, bombardment with bright lights, camera surveillance around the clock and denial of family visits.

Between January and March 2019, Amnesty International documented the enforced disappearance of five people following their forced return to Egypt from Turkey and Malaysia. On 18 January 2019, the Turkish authorities deported Mohamed Abdelhafiz to Egypt, where Egyptian authorities have subjected him to enforced disappearance for more than a month. Mohamed Abdelhafiz had been sentenced to death on 22 July 2017 in his absence following a mass unfair trial and is now detained pending his retrial.