We, the undersigned civil society organizations from across the globe, call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Egyptian activist, poet, and political writer Ahmed Douma.

Allegations of grave violations committed during North Sinai counter-terrorism operations, which may amount to war…

The undersigned human rights organizations are deeply concerned by the forced eviction measures and practices being undertaken by the Egyptian military against residents of the villages of Al-Kharafin and Al-Muqata’a in North Sinai

The undersigned organizations condemn the violations reportedly inflicted on detainees held at Badr 1 Prison,…

The undersigned organizations condemn the continued inclusion of human rights lawyer Mohamed El-Baqer on the…

Democracy has remained largely absent in Egypt since the 2024 adoption of the EU-Egypt Partnership, even though the confirmed €5 billion in EU macro-financial assistance is officially predicated on Egypt taking “concrete and credible steps towards respecting effective democratic mechanisms – including a multi-party parliamentary system – and the rule of law and guarantees respect for human rights.”

Marei’s case does not exist in isolation. It reflects a broader pattern of a harsh and ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression in Egypt, taking place within an increasingly closed civic space, alongside mounting restrictions on artistic freedom. This includes the systematic targeting of artists, and cultural figures through vague and recurring charges. For over a decade, the authorities have relied on such accusations to pursue critics, journalists, artists, and creatives, resulting in years of imprisonment, either through prolonged pretrial detention or through trials that fall short of international fair trial standards.

CFJ and EFHR reaffirmed their support for the adoption of an African Declaration on the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights defenders, while stressing that the final text must preserve its strongest guarantees, remove language that may enable restrictions or reprisals, and respond effectively to the lived realities of defenders across the continent.

In addition to Yasser Abu Al‑Ela, those prosecuted in the same case include cartoonist Ashraf Omar. Other journalists currently detained include Safa Al‑Korbeigi, Karim Ibrahim, Mostafa Al‑Khatib, Ahmed Sabeeh, Badr Mohamed Badr, Mahmoud Saad Diab, Hamdy Mokhtar, Tawfik Ghanem, Mohamed Saeed Fahmy, Mohamed Abu Al‑Moaty, Mostafa Saad, Abdullah Samir Mubarak, Medhat Ramadan, Ahmed Abu Zeid Al‑Tantawi, Ramadan Goweda, Khaled Mamdouh, and Hussein Karim.