Over 30,000 petitioners have demanded the immediate release of 27-year-old Egyptian student Oqba Hashad, who has been unlawfully detained for nearly six years, primarily due to his brother’s human rights activism. Amnesty International, which has championed Hashad’s case, confirmed his arrest on May 20, 2019, during a raid at the University of Sadat City, where he was a student. Following his detention, Hashad faced torture, enforced disappearance, and denial of essential medical care.
Amnesty reported that despite a February 2024 judicial order mandating Hashad’s release after his detention exceeded the legal two-year limit, authorities circumvented the ruling by adding new terrorism-related charges. “Oqba Hashad has been the victim of a cruel and blatant miscarriage of justice,” said Souleimene Benghazi, Amnesty International’s Egypt campaigner. “This blatant manipulation of the legal system underscores the authorities’ disregard for international law.”
Hashad’s plight is exacerbated by his medical condition—having lost his right leg in childhood, he relies on a prosthetic. Since August 2022, when his prosthetic broke, the authorities delayed providing him with a replacement until February 2025, worsening his physical and mental suffering. This delay has resulted in significant back pain and reduced mobility.
Hashad’s detention is reportedly linked to his brother, Amr Hashad, a human rights activist convicted on politically motivated charges. Amr Hashad was imprisoned between 2014 and 2019 for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government. Amnesty International launched the “Write for Rights” campaign to advocate for Oqba’s release, emphasizing that his detention is a direct consequence of his family connection.
The case of Oqba Hashad is part of a broader pattern of repression in Egypt, where critics of the government, including human rights lawyers and activists, face arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances. In June 2024, 28 rights organizations called for an end to the retaliation against human rights defenders. This ongoing trend was highlighted in a 2024 report to the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, documenting systematic abuses during the 2023 Egyptian presidential elections.
As international pressure mounts, the global community continues to demand justice for Oqba Hashad and an end to the Egyptian government’s repression of dissent.
