Egyptian authorities have intensified their crackdown on online freedom of expression, prosecuting and imprisoning dozens of people for social media posts, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday.
Since May 2024, prosecutors have ordered at least 110 travel bans and asset freezes in cases related to freedom of expression, and courts have sentenced at least 25 people to prison.
Those targeted include politicians, journalists, lawyers, comedians, a novelist, a YouTuber and others who have expressed opinions critical of the government on social media platforms.
Prosecutors have charged most of the individuals with membership of a terrorist organization and spreading false news, based on social media posts.
“Egyptian authorities are using draconian laws to silence any online criticism,” said Joe Stork, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch. “Egypt’s allies should not remain silent in the face of this wave of repression aimed at silencing dissenting voices.”
On July 22, 2024, Ashraf Omar, a satirical artist, was arrested by security forces during a night raid on his home. His wife, Nada Moogheeth, revealed that National Security agents held him in a secret location for over 48 hours, where he was allegedly tortured.
On July 24, Omar was presented to the Supreme State Security Prosecutor’s Office in Cairo, which accused him of “joining a terrorist group,” “misusing social networks” and “spreading false information.”
Another journalist, Khaled Mamdouh, was arrested at his home in Cairo on July 16. After being held incommunicado for five days, he was charged with the same offenses as Omar.
Mamdouh is currently being held in Abu Za’abal prison, where hearings to extend his pre-trial detention are being held via videoconference, a practice denounced by HRW.
A third journalist, a former colleague of Mamdouh, fled the country at the end of July for fear of a similar arrest. In addition, Abdelrahman Ayyash, a researcher and journalist in exile, was put on trial in early July on charges of “leading a terrorist group.”
These arrests are part of a long series of human rights violations under the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, where press freedom is severely restricted.
Egypt, which is party to international instruments guaranteeing freedom of expression, nevertheless continues to systematically repress it.
Said Benarbia, Middle East and North Africa director of the International Commission of Jurists, said, “Instead of muzzling independent and critical voices through arbitrary detentions and prosecutions, the Egyptian authorities must ensure that all individuals can participate in public debate and freely express their opinions without fear of reprisal.”
