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GENEVA — UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called on Egyptian authorities to immediately end the use of the “rotation” system, a controversial practice that allows indefinite detention of individuals by filing new charges as they near release.
The system, often applied to perceived political opponents—including activists, lawyers, journalists, and peaceful protesters—relies on Egypt’s broadly defined Anti-Terrorism Law to justify repeated prosecutions for similar or identical offenses. Türk warned that the practice violates international legal standards, including the principle of double jeopardy, which prohibits punishing individuals multiple times for the same offense.
“Most of those targeted by ‘rotation’ should not have been detained or jailed in the first place,” Türk said, adding that the charges often stem from the exercise of legitimate rights such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
One of the most prominent cases is that of Ebrahim Abdelmonem Metwally, a lawyer and human rights defender arrested in 2017 en route to a UN meeting in Geneva. Despite multiple court orders for his release, Metwally remains in solitary confinement at Tora prison, with new charges repeatedly filed to extend his detention.
The UN and more than 20 NGOs have demanded his release, citing systemic abuse of legal procedures to suppress dissent. Türk emphasized that Egypt must ensure its counter-terrorism laws are not weaponized against civil society and urged the government to restore due process and uphold human rights protections.
Excerpts sourced from reporting by James Brierley for JURIST.
