Amnesty Worldwide mentioned right now that Egyptian authorities have launched a brand new wave of arbitrary arrests of dozens of individuals amid requires anti-government protests and rising public discontent over rising costs and ongoing energy outages.
Because the starting of July, Egyptian safety forces have arbitrarily arrested 119 folks, together with no less than seven girls and one little one, in no less than six governorates in reference to on-line requires a “revolution of dignity” on July 12. Detainees posted protests on their social media accounts, calling for the overthrow of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's authorities over worth hikes and years of energy outages. The protests in the end didn’t materialize.
“This can be very shameful that complaining concerning the deterioration of financial and residing requirements means imprisonment in Egypt. As a substitute of silencing folks for voicing their discontent and persevering with to make use of brutal ways to stamp out public protests, the Egyptian authorities should take concrete steps to uphold folks's social and financial rights,” mentioned Mahmoud Shalaby, Amnesty Worldwide Egypt researcher.
“The Egyptian authorities should instantly and unconditionally launch all these arbitrarily detained solely for exercising their proper to freedom of expression. They need to make sure that folks can train their proper to protest with out worry of retaliation.”
Egypt is experiencing an increase in discontent amongst folks struggling to satisfy their primary wants amid rising meals and gas costs and a nationwide medication scarcity.
In January 2024, folks in Egypt have been hit by a collection of worth will increase, together with telecommunications tariffs and subway tickets. Since July 2023, the Egyptian authorities has applied cost-saving measures, together with day by day two-hour energy outages, in all elements of the nation, apart from some governorates with excessive vacationer visitors. The cuts are impacting a number of points of life within the nation, together with entry to water, requiring pumping to larger flooring in lots of buildings. Native media reported a number of deaths of individuals caught in elevators in the course of the cuts.
This can be very shameful that complaining concerning the deterioration of financial and residing requirements means imprisonment in Egypt.
Mahmoud Shalaby, Amnesty Worldwide
Amnesty Worldwide performed interviews with human rights attorneys representing eight detainees, together with attorneys from the Egyptian Initiative for Private Freedoms (EIPR) and the Egyptian Fee for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF). They mentioned that as of July 16, 2024, the entire variety of folks introduced earlier than the Supreme State Safety Prosecutor's Workplace (SSSP) in legal instances in opposition to their shoppers associated to the protest calls was 119.
Eight of the prisoners, aged between 30 and 60, haven’t any political previous and have totally different backgrounds and professions. Seven posted content material on Fb and X (previously Twitter) underneath the hashtag “Revolution of Dignity,” calling for anti-government protests. One posted a video calling on parliament to question President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Safety forces detained the eight folks at their properties and workplaces in Cairo, Giza, Al Gharbia, Beni Souif, Crimson Sea, Alexandria and Menoufia governorates after which transferred them to police stations or Nationwide Safety Company (NSA) amenities. Seven of the eight folks remained incommunicado for a interval of two to 5 days. NSA brokers interrogated her blindfolded, which amounted to ill-treatment, and with out the presence of a lawyer.
Authorities later transferred the detainees to the SSSP, which opened an investigation in opposition to them for “becoming a member of a terrorist group,” “publishing false information,” and “misuse of social media.” Prosecutors ordered the eight folks, in addition to 111 others dealing with related expenses, to be held in custody for 15 days till the investigation is accomplished. The proof in opposition to the eight arrested included screenshots of their private cell telephones in addition to screenshots of their social media accounts.
SSSP prosecutors questioned the detainees about their private and professional lives, the explanations they supported the protest calls, and whether or not or not they anticipated folks to take to the streets on July 12.
An inmate in his 40s advised prosecutors that he had three kids and located it tough to look after them regardless of lengthy, bodily demanding work, prompting him to assist the calls to specific his anger.
One other detainee in his 30s, who works in a non-public firm, advised prosecutors that he wrote “Sufficient Sisi, go away” as a result of he might now not afford primary requirements as his wage was by no means sufficient given worth will increase.
background
Amnesty Worldwide has beforehand documented how Egyptian authorities carried out pre-emptive mass arrests of a whole lot of individuals within the run-up to COP 27 in 2022 in response to requires protests.
Since 2013, the Egyptian authorities have massively suppressed the rights to freedom of expression, affiliation and peaceable meeting and have taken powerful motion in opposition to crucial voices offline and on-line. 1000’s of precise or suspected authorities critics proceed to be arbitrarily detained.