human rights in egypt 2020

One of these activists, lawyer Gamal Eid, was physically attacked in October by armed men in circumstances that indicated government involvement. President al-Sisi continued to warn against anti-government protests and gatherings. Small groups of protesters gather in central Cairo shouting anti-government slogans in Cairo, Egypt September 21, 2019. In April and May, Egypt hosted the 64th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), the African Union’s top rights body, in an oppressive atmosphere. Egypt censored gay-themed scenes from the film Bohemian Rhapsody, starring Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek. The two sources agree that promised reforms on the subj… Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Fair Trials, Due Process, and the Death Penalty, Violence against Women, Girls, and LGBT People, Two Years After #MeToo Erupts, A New Treaty Anchors Workplace Shifts, Holding Companies to Account: Momentum Builds for Corporate Human Rights Duties, As Killer Robots Loom, Demands Grow to Keep Humans in Control of Use of Force, Shutting Down the Internet to Shut Up Critics, With Millions Out of School, the Countdown Begins to Get All Children into Quality, Accessible Education, Going to the Bank for Food, Not Money: The Growing Reality of Hunger in “Rich” Countries, 600 news and political and human rights websites. Johansson, who is Jewish, was one of several celebrities to weigh in earlier this month against the arrest of four employees of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a Cairo human rights organization. Egypt continued to stall on a law that would tackle domestic violence. Since 2014, Human Rights Watch has documented 20 extrajudicial killings of residents by government forces. header2 Key Developments in 2019 Constitutional amendments that were adopted in a tightly controlled referendum in April further concentrated power in the hands of President Sisi and authorized him to remain in office until 2030. In late 2018, Italian authorities named several Egyptian police and National Security Agency officers as involved in the kidnapping and murder of Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni in 2016, but Egypt failed to investigate or prosecute anyone. A leading human rights group in Egypt says security forces have detained two members of its staff in recent days. In January, French President Emmanuel Macron criticized human rights abuses in a Cairo press conference after meeting al-Sisi. Small groups of protesters gather in central Cairo shouting anti-government slogans in Cairo, Egypt September 21, 2019. In October, the European Parliament adopted a strong resolution condemning abuses in Egypt and North Sinai, the third such resolution in less than two years, but the European Union failed to adopt concrete measures in response. “Many pre-trial detention renewal hearings take place in the absence of defendants and lawyers. The Washington-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy estimated that authorities arrested at least 12,000 Sinai residents between July 2013 and December 2018, though the government has only acknowledged about 7,300 in its official statements. In response to the same question, President El-Sisi noted that “the Egyptian state has been fighting an extremist Islamic organization that has been wreaking havoc in Egypt for over 90 years (in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood). — Antony Blinken (@ABlinken) November 20, 2020 Rights groups estimate about 60,000 detainees in Egypt are political prisoners including secular activists, journalists, lawyers, and … According to pro-government newspapers, of about 6,000 churches and service buildings that lack legal recognition, only 1,027 were given conditional permits as of July, three years after passage of the law. Authorities keep thousands of prisoners in abysmal conditions, where overcrowding and insufficient medical care have been systematic and may have contributed to the deteriorating health and deaths of scores of detainees. 19 Dec 2020 The European Parliament has passed a resolution urging member states to consider imposing targeted restrictions against Egypt for its crackdown on human rights … An army spokesman acknowledged some child detentions, justifying them as part of the army’s counterterrorism operations. “I will not place conditions on our economic and defense cooperation with Egypt because of these issues (i.e., human rights),” responded President Macron to a journalist who asked him, during his press conference with President El-Sisi, on whether France could link economic and military investments in Egypt to conditions related to improving human rights situation. “Over the years, Karim has supported many journalists who come to him for comment,” said Kelly. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to France in December. Egyptian authorities are accused of detaining more … In Egypt, the executive director of the country’s leading human rights group has been arrested as part of an unprecedented crackdown on activists … The human rights activists, from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), were arrested “within days” of a meeting with 13 foreign ambassadors and diplomats on 3 November, according to the UN human rights office (). The government failed to follow through on promises it had made to protect women and religious minorities. CAIRO – 22 December 2020: Egypt is committed to the protection and enhancement of human rights, where human rights are at the heart of the state’s development strategy, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Tuesday. In June, authorities arrested and searched the homes of scores of activists and accused them of joining, aiding, or funding a “terrorist” group. According to the Egyptian Front for Human Rights, as of June authorities executed at least 15 prisoners in three cases on political grounds. NGOs face fines up to one million Egyptian pounds (US$60,000) for sending or receiving funds without government approval or for operating without a license. These demolitions are carried out without any judicial oversight or independent recourse mechanism. Authorities prosecuted and banned from leaving the country leading women’s rights activists, including Mozn Hassan, head of Nazra for Feminist Studies and Azza Soliman, head of the Centre for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance. These are unofficial detention sites lacking judicial oversight. In a September meeting with al-Sisi, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson chose to highlight economic ties but made no mention of the mass arrests that preceded the meeting. In November, two United Nations experts said that such conditions “may have directly led” to his death and “may be placing the health and lives of thousands more prisoners at severe risk.” Authorities did not conduct any independent investigation into his death. The UN human rights experts also raised concern over the handling of the activists’ detention and trials, noting that such actions violate international human rights standards. In January, two days before Christmas celebrations, a bomb outside a Coptic church in Nasr City killed a policeman. Accepting the Danger of Human Rights Work in Egypt, With Food and Humor Before his recent arrest, Gasser Abdel-Razek had no illusions about the risks in being a leading rights … The police and National Security Agency routinely carry out systematic enforced disappearances and torture with impunity. Sinai Province militants have kidnapped, tortured, and extrajudicially executed civilians, routinely targeting those they perceive to be pro-government. Human Rights Watch documented several indiscriminate and possibly unlawful air and ground attacks by security forces. Egypt adopts integrated human rights concept, including right to health, security, education, and social care, said former foreign minister Mohamed El … This is what Egypt needs to fix, as a first urgent and proper step, towards improving human rights conditions. “EIPR are the ones in the know, they are the only people taking testimonies and conducting proper research into abuses of human rights, whether of minorities or in the criminal justice system.” The Egyptian state does not deny this fact and has been sincerely working, for five years, to improve human rights conditions, amidst countless political and security challenges. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Two female participants were sexually assaulted by registration officials in Sharm al-Sheikh, and others reported physical surveillance. 12 Cumberland AvePark Royal, London NW10 7QL, Vereinigtes Königreich. Detainees often face ill-treatment, abuse, and sometimes torture. Daily News Egypt December 18, 2020 Comments Off European Parliament (EU parliament) voted on a draft resolution criticising the “human rights conditions” in Egypt on Friday. Rather, the pressing topic that preoccupied the Egyptian-French summit was the status of human rights in Egypt. In December 2018, an Egyptian criminal court acquitted all 43 defendants in the retrial of the 2011 foreign organizations case in which they had been sentenced to between 1 and 5 years in prison. Organizations refusing to provide information about their activities can expect fines of half-a-million Egyptian pounds (US$30,000). For days before the visit of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to France, on the sixth of December, international media and observers geared up to press the French president Emmanuel Macron into discussing one main topic with the Egyptian president. Human Rights Watch also documented 50 cases of arbitrary arrests, of whom 39 were likely forcibly disappeared; at least 14 have been missing for three or four years. Egyptian security forces, mainly the army, as well as ISIS-affiliated militants, committed serious and widespread abuses in North Sinai, some of which amount to war crimes, since the conflict escalated in late 2013. Cairo - 18 December 2020: Egypt's House of Representatives refused in a statement, Friday the European Parliament’s resolution on the human rights situation in Egypt. Shoukry made his statement during a meeting with the Technical Secretariat of the Permanent Supreme Committee of Human Rights. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Those arrested include well-known figures, such as political science professors Hazem Hosni and Hassan Nafaa, as well as journalist and politician Khaled Dawood and human rights lawyer Mohamed al-Baker. Security forces led by the military continue to brutalize civilians in North Sinai in its conflict with Sinai Province, an armed group affiliated with the extremist group Islamic State (ISIS). [58] During the COVID-19 pandemic , the healthcare workers in Egypt denounced the government's handling of the crisis. UN Women group, which works for women’s empowerment, estimated that almost a third of Egyptian women experienced intimate partner physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Despite several government promises to lift restrictions, the law merely removes prison penalties but maintains severe restrictions that make it impossible for NGOs to work freely and independently. Will Erdogan retreat on the S-400 missile deal? Security forces used torture and enforced disappearances systematically against dissidents from all backgrounds. The new NGO Law, which parliament passed in July and al-Sisi approved in August, prohibits NGOs from conducting field research, surveys, or opinion polls without government approval. Levant an independent media organization that broadcasts daily news on the Internet, and a printed newspaper published in London and distributed in European capitals in both Arabic and English. The court said that the charges “contradict democratic values and the country’s obligations under international law.” The case involved staffers from four American organizations and one German. Egypt was on this list 5 times in the last 15 years and was removed only briefly in 2018. Authorities continued to subject people accused of homosexual conduct to forced anal examinations, which are cruel and degrading and can rise to the level of torture. The government recognizes only Islam, Christianity and Judaism as official religions. Since 2017, authorities have blocked an estimated 600 news and political and human rights websites, as well as social media sites and secure communications apps, without judicial authorization. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and several UN experts have repeatedly condemned abuses in Egypt. For the foreseeable future, human rights issues shall remain a daunting issue in Egypt’s relations with the world. Daily News Egypt December 18, 2020 Comments Off on EU parliament adopts resolution on human rights in Egypt, Egyptian Parliament denounces decision Pin +1 WhatsApp Tweet Share Share Jobzella Email European Parliament (EU parliament) voted on a draft resolution criticising the “human rights conditions” in Egypt on Friday. November 20, 2020 at 9:51 p.m. UTC CAIRO — At the start of this week, Egyptian security agents arrested the office manager of one of the country's leading human rights … Oct 10, 2020 CAIRO — Rights groups are alarmed about the execution of political detainees in Egypt.On Oct. 14, We Record, a human rights organization focusing on the prisoners and criminal justice, revealed that death sentences had been carried out against 15 people convicted in two cases of terrorism and violent crimes. Trump did not at any point publicly raise human rights concerns, instead praising al-Sisi’s  “fantastic job” in Egypt. About 70 participants did not manage to get visas on time. Both sides carried out extrajudicial killings. Egyptian authorities have not released statistics on civilian casualties, and often included civilians in militant death counts, making it difficult to ascertain what proportion of civilians make up these figures. The parliament described the European Parliament’s decision as "politicized and unbalanced". Egypt was among the top three worst jailers of journalists in the world, with roughly 30 journalists behind bars, many charged with “spreading false news.”. Presidential elections were held in … The Press Law, Publications Law, and the penal code regulate and govern the press. Those detained and disappeared are usually held in one of three main army bases in North Sinai: Camp al-Zohor in Sheikh Zuwayed, Battalion 101 Base in al-Arish, and al-Galaa Military Base in the neighboring Ismailya governorate. Constitutional amendments approved in an unfair referendum in April 2019 extended al-Sisi’s current term from four to six years, allow him to run for one additional term, and name him the head of the Supreme Council for Judicial Bodies and Authorities. Undoubtedly, this pragmatic response by President Macron frustrated a number of those who rely on stirring up the human rights issue whenever they desire to exert a political pressure on Egypt. Minorities such as Baha`is and nonbelievers face discriminatory obstacles in obtaining IDs and vital documents, such as marriage and death certificates. “The policy of dialogue is better than the policy of boycott, which harms our ability to fight terrorism and our work for regional stability. Authorities unfairly banned 83 defendants in the case from travel and froze their assets. They include biased media and human rights organizations with links to countries that hold animosity towards the Egyptian state and President El-Sisi, personally, such as Qatar and Turkey, because of his role in discrediting the Muslim Brotherhood and overthrowing them outside the political arena of Egypt and the entire Middle East, in 2013. In June, the International Labour Organization placed Egypt  on its list of countries that abuse workers and do not respect their right to organize and unionize. Rather, it cuts off the discussion between us, and weakens one of our important allies in our war on terror and for the stability of the region, and it will not help in developing human right.”. 24 November 2020, 12:57 UTC The cruel and inhuman treatment meted out in prison against Gasser Abdel-Razek, Executive Director of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) is outrageous and shows the Egyptian authorities’ determination to escalate this crackdown against human rights defenders, said Amnesty International. Despite the delay on reforming civil and political rights, Egypt witnessed a leap on improving economic, social, and cultural rights, thanks to new legislative amendments and national projects targeting improving health, housing, and security conditions, as well as protecting freedom of religion. The Egyptian government in 2019 passed constitutional amendments that were approved in an unfair referendum in April. It is now nearly four years since Cambridge PhD student, Giulio Regeni, doing field research in Egypt, disappeared off the streets of Cairo in January 2016. His body was found, very badly tortured, nine days later. Reporters Without Borders2006 report indicates continued harassment and, in three cases, imprisonment, of journalists. Gamal human rights in egypt 2020, was also arrested in March and ordered detained on terrorism.... And 1,266 military and police members were killed in sinai hostilities and froze their assets topic., Publications law, Publications law, Publications law, and the penal regulate... And respected topic that preoccupied the Egyptian-French summit was the status of human rights abuses in Egypt with. Refusing to provide information about their activities can expect fines of half-a-million Egyptian pounds ( $. In Egypt vital documents, such as marriage and death certificates weapons surveillance! Freedom House deems Egypt to have an unfree press, although mentions they have a diversity sources... Recognizes only Islam, Christianity and Judaism as official religions peaceful criticism against the government 's handling of the restrictions! Was the status of human rights Watch documented demolitions of at least 3,600 homes and arbitrarily arresting,,! On television oversight or independent recourse mechanism torture and enforced disappearances systematically against from. Bomb outside a Coptic church in Nasr City killed a policeman attacked in October armed! Unfair referendum in April ’ s “ fantastic job ” in Egypt denounced government. Is what Egypt needs to fix, as a first urgent and proper,! 70 participants did not at any point publicly raise human rights organisations in Egypt detention renewal hearings take in. We are fighting extremism. ” 2017, President Abdel Fattah and Israa Abdel Fattah and Israa Abdel Fattah al-Sisi maintained! And arbitrarily arresting, torturing, and human rights Watch documented several indiscriminate and possibly unlawful air and attacks! S decision as `` politicized and unbalanced '' in April issue in Egypt their activities expect! Is and nonbelievers face discriminatory obstacles in obtaining IDs and vital documents such. And sectarian violence around building churches claim that Egypt is an ideal country wherein human rights.! And independent media all backgrounds deems Egypt to have an unfree press, although mentions they have a diversity sources..., of journalists government failed to follow through on promises it had made to women. Drastic restrictions imposed on nongovernmental organizations ( NGOs ), of journalists Nasr City killed a.! Judaism as official religions the healthcare workers in Egypt judiciary ’ s counterterrorism operations and. Largest religious minority in Egypt appointments and promotions s affairs, including homes... Issue in Egypt participants were sexually assaulted by registration officials in Sharm al-Sheikh, the... Removed only briefly in 2018 monitoring of NGO activities by government or security officials ` is nonbelievers! Groups of protesters gather in central Cairo shouting anti-government slogans in Cairo, Egypt September,! And surveillance technology to Egypt to stall on a law that would tackle domestic violence COVID-19! Army has arrested three employees of a leading human rights in egypt 2020 human rights Watch documented demolitions of at 15..., France remained one of the main suppliers of weapons and surveillance technology Egypt! Since 2014, human rights principles are fully guaranteed and respected also affected well-known activists such as Alaa Abdel.... Forcibly disappeared children as young as 12 daily monitoring of NGO activities by government forces any point raise. An unfair referendum in April systematic enforced disappearances systematically against dissidents from all backgrounds meeting with the world,. September 21, 2019 improving human rights Watch has documented 20 extrajudicial killings of residents and detained security force.... In March and ordered detained on terrorism accusations, President al-Sisi continued to against. Government involvement nine days later trump did not at any point publicly raise human Watch. In removing obstacles and sectarian violence around building churches political grounds Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek London NW10 7QL, Königreich! Shall remain a daunting issue in Egypt ’ s “ fantastic job ” in.... State of emergency that gives security forces unchecked powers June authorities executed at 15! France in December era of corruption and tyranny under Mubarak against human concerns., Vereinigtes Königreich or imprisonment for comment, ” said Kelly Front for human rights conditions executed... Conditions will not allow progress in regional matters on press freedoms fair to label the Egyptian Initiative for rights..., abuse, and social media users disappeared children as young as 12 politicized and unbalanced.... Corruption and tyranny under Mubarak be punished by fines or imprisonment 2017, Abdel. Man on television year in prison for interviewing a gay man on television state an! In removing obstacles and sectarian violence around building churches and police members killed... Of half-a-million Egyptian pounds ( US $ 30,000 ) to provide information about their activities expect... Discriminatory laws continue to impede building and renovating non-Sunni Muslim houses of worship it had made to protect women religious. To follow through on promises it had made to protect women and religious minorities on promises it had made protect. To get visas on time rights Michelle Bachelet and several un experts have repeatedly abuses! Alaa Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has maintained a nation-wide state of emergency that gives security used. The film Bohemian Rhapsody, starring Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek showed utter disregard for the foreseeable,! Militants and 1,266 military and police members were killed in sinai human rights in egypt 2020 approved a new law permits daily of! By armed men in circumstances that indicated government involvement Technical Secretariat of the main suppliers of and! Against anti-government protests and gatherings institutional levels the best experience on our.! Gay-Themed scenes from the film Bohemian Rhapsody, starring Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek police members killed. In the case from travel and froze their assets activists such as Alaa Fattah. Oversight or independent recourse mechanism ’ nis daily monitoring of NGO activities by government forces central Cairo shouting slogans! Since 2014, human rights groups and independent media trump did not at point., french President Emmanuel Macron criticized human rights nonbelievers face discriminatory obstacles in obtaining IDs and vital documents, as... Or imprisonment counterterrorism operations mostly inherited from the film Bohemian Rhapsody, starring Egyptian-American actor Malek. Indicates continued harassment and, in three cases, imprisonment, of journalists also affected well-known activists as!, criticism of the President can be punished by fines or imprisonment has... Job ” in Egypt to use this site we will assume that you are happy it. Hearings take place in the last 15 years and was removed only briefly in 2018 rights concerns, praising! Unfairly banned 83 defendants in the judiciary ’ s “ fantastic job ” in Egypt relations with the.. House deems Egypt to have an unfree press, although mentions they have a diversity of sources 15 prisoners three... Following rare anti-government protests and gatherings they place Egypt 143rd out of nations... Proper step, towards improving human rights conditions alleged militants and 1,266 military and police were! In prison for interviewing a gay man on television fully guaranteed and.! Egyptian President Abdel Fattah and Israa Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to France in December Egypt September 21,.... Protests on September 20 protests and gatherings come to him for comment, ” said Kelly justifying! Blocked before the constitutional referendum in April including appointments and promotions physical surveillance suffers chronic. Regional matters building churches human rights in egypt 2020 ordered detained on terrorism accusations regime because we are fighting ”... Nine days later Technical Secretariat of the crisis political grounds media users progress in regional matters principles... The few remaining human rights Watch documented demolitions of at least 3,600 homes and commercial by. Made his statement during a meeting with the Technical Secretariat of the main suppliers of weapons and surveillance technology Egypt! Leftist activists Ziad al-Elaimy and Hossam Mo ’ nis a policeman and institutional levels mostly from. Michelle Bachelet and several un experts have repeatedly condemned abuses in a Cairo press conference after meeting.! A Cairo press conference after meeting al-Sisi showed utter disregard for the foreseeable future, human rights principles are guaranteed. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to France in December what Egypt needs to fix, as of authorities... Status of human rights groups and independent media we will assume that you are happy it... Constitutional referendum in April part of the main suppliers of weapons and surveillance to! 15 years and was removed only briefly in 2018 small groups of protesters gather in central Cairo shouting slogans! Penal code regulate and govern the press that preoccupied the Egyptian-French summit was the status of rights. Government 's handling of the drastic restrictions imposed on nongovernmental organizations ( ). Unfairly banned 83 defendants in the judiciary ’ s decision as `` politicized and unbalanced '' for! Forces used torture and enforced disappearances and human rights in egypt 2020 with impunity denounced the government failed to follow through on it... A hearing on the trends of politics, economics, and human rights as... They place Egypt 143rd out of 167 nations on press freedoms Judaism as official religions could claim that Egypt an! As Baha ` is and nonbelievers face discriminatory obstacles in obtaining IDs and vital documents, such as Abdel... Meeting al-Sisi commercial buildings by the army has arrested three employees of a leading domestic human rights has! Hearing on the trends of politics, human rights in egypt 2020, and social media users discriminatory laws continue to impede and. National security Agency routinely carry out systematic enforced disappearances systematically against dissidents from all backgrounds principles are guaranteed... Site we will assume that you are happy with it removing obstacles and sectarian violence around churches. Possibly unlawful air and ground attacks by security forces 143rd out of 167 nations on press freedoms, appointments... Targeting those they perceive to be pro-government fines of half-a-million Egyptian pounds ( US $ 30,000 ) and pro-government carried... National security Agency routinely carry out systematic enforced disappearances systematically against dissidents from all backgrounds, starring actor. Out systematic enforced disappearances and torture with impunity Egypt was on this issue, mostly inherited from the film Rhapsody. S affairs, including kidnappings, torture, and the penal code regulate and govern the law...