A group of independent United Nations human rights experts issued a forceful appeal to the Egyptian government on January 14, 2026, demanding the immediate removal of restrictive measures targeting human rights defenders who have already been released from custody. Despite serving sentences or receiving high-profile presidential pardons, many advocates remain trapped in a “legal limbo” characterized by travel bans, frozen bank accounts, and indefinite inclusion on the state’s terrorism watchlist.
The experts warned that these punitive measures constitute a form of “continuing punishment” that violates international law and prevents civil society leaders from resuming their personal and professional lives.
Security vs. Sovereignty: The Post-Release Struggle
The UN Special Rapporteurs highlighted a disturbing pattern where the Egyptian judiciary employs administrative restrictions as a surrogate for incarceration. These tactics effectively immobilize activists, cutting them off from their families, financial resources, and international networks.
- The EIPR Case: High-profile members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)—Gasser Abdel Razek, Karim Ennarah, and Mohamed Bashir—remain under strict asset freezes and travel bans nearly six years after their initial 2020 arrests.
- Perpetual Watchlists: Human rights lawyer Mohamed El-Baqer, who received a presidential pardon in 2023, remains on the national terrorism list. Shockingly, experts noted that just one day before his initial five-year listing was set to expire, his name was added for another five-year term without new evidence.
- “National Security” Labels: Samir Abdel-Hai, pardoned in 2022, continues to be barred from traveling abroad to finish his university studies in Vienna, cited officially as a “threat to national security” despite the pardon.
A Violation of International Charters
The UN panel criticized Egypt’s reliance on “vague counterterrorism laws” to criminalize legitimate human rights work. The experts underscored that such practices likely violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 9) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 6), both of which prohibit arbitrary interference with liberty.
“These individuals have served their time or been pardoned. To continue treating them as active threats is a transparent attempt to stifle independent thought and civil society participation,” the UN statement read.
The 2026 Context: Diplomatic Dissonance
The UN’s call arrives at a paradoxical moment for Cairo. On January 15, 2026, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced the development of a new National Human Rights Strategy (2026–2031), aimed at modernizing the country’s legal framework and civil liberties.
However, rights groups argue that these policy announcements ring hollow while systemic issues—including documented reports of torture, arbitrary detention, and the targeting of refugees—persist. While the government promotes a “new era” of reform, the reality for those on the ground remains one of surveillance and restriction.
The Regional Ripple Effect
The crackdown is not limited to Egyptian nationals. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) recently documented a 121% surge in the arbitrary detention and forced deportation of refugees and asylum seekers, particularly those fleeing the conflict in Sudan. Critics argue that the “security-first” architecture used against domestic activists is now being expanded to manage a deepening regional refugee crisis.
| Name | Current Status | Key Restriction |
| Mohamed El-Baqer | Pardoned (2023) | Terrorism Watchlist (Extended to 2031) |
| Gasser Abdel Razek | Released (2020) | Active Asset Freeze & Travel Ban |
| Samir Abdel-Hai | Pardoned (2022) | Travel Ban (Security Threat Label) |
| Patrick Zaki | Pardoned (2023) | Ongoing Travel Ban |
Excerpts from jurist.org article by Hussin Alameedi | St. Louis U. School of Law, US
