Ahead of Egypt’s scheduled review by the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on January 30, 2025, human rights organizations have raised alarm over the arbitrary detention and harassment of activists. Amnesty International reported on January 29 that Egyptian authorities have been investigating and detaining several high-profile critics, including politicians and activists, in a clear attempt to suppress dissent ahead of the review process.
Among those under investigation are prominent political figure Hisham Kassem and well-known activist Hossam Bahgat. In addition, several individuals have been detained, including journalist Ahmed Serag, human rights activist Nada Mogheeth, and TikTok personality Mohamed Allam, as well as Mogheeth’s spouse, cartoonist Ashraf Omar.
The UPR is a key mechanism for assessing the human rights performance of UN Member States, held every four and a half years. The process reviews a country’s human rights record in accordance with the principles outlined in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as its commitments under international law. The UPR allows for the submission of recommendations to improve human rights practices, with a focus on areas such as torture, enforced disappearances, and fair trial guarantees.
Ahead of this review, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) has called on the UN to highlight a range of human rights issues, including the ongoing use of torture, unfair trials, enforced disappearances, and the conditions within Egyptian prisons. In a press release, the EIPR emphasized that these systemic abuses continue to affect the country’s human rights landscape.
The context of these actions is particularly significant given the political backdrop of Egypt. Activists are hoping to channel the momentum from Egypt’s 2011 January 25 Revolution, which led to the resignation of long-time President Hosni Mubarak, as a reminder of the country’s unfinished business with democracy and human rights reforms.
As the UN prepares to conduct its review, concerns grow over Egypt’s commitment to addressing these longstanding human rights violations, and whether the current government’s actions will be adequately scrutinized by the international community.
