Based on complaints and documented information submitted by the Egyptian Front for Human Rights, a number of United Nations experts sent an official communication to the Egyptian government on 13 November 2025, expressing their grave concern and strong condemnation of the referral of more than 90 lawyers, including human rights lawyers and human rights defenders, to trial before terrorism circuits. The experts described this step as a dangerous escalation in the criminalisation of legitimate legal work and an abusive use of counter-terrorism legislation.
The communication was signed by seven UN Special Procedures mandate holders: the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
The experts explained that the information reviewed indicates that these referrals are a direct consequence of lawyers exercising their professional duties in providing legal defence and judicial representation, particularly in cases of a political or human rights nature. They stressed that this constitutes a clear violation of the right to freely practise one’s profession and undermines a fundamental pillar of the criminal justice system—namely, the independence of lawyers and the right of defendants to legal defence.
The UN communication highlighted in particular the cases of three Egyptian lawyers currently in detention: Shaker Mohamed Shaker Ahmed, Osama Abdel-Hakim Bayoumi Samak, and Abdrab Al-Naby Abdullah Ismail. The experts noted that their criminal prosecution stems from their legitimate legal activities, including providing legal support and representation to victims of human rights violations or to defendants in political cases.
According to the experts, these lawyers face vague charges such as “joining an unspecified terrorist group” and “spreading false news”, based on counter-terrorism laws, without precise identification of the alleged criminal acts or the presentation of individualised evidence. The experts considered that such legal ambiguity violates the principle of legality and seriously undermines the right to a fair trial. They further noted that some lawyers have been subjected to prolonged pre-trial detention exceeding the legal maximum, in addition to the use of the practice known as “case rotation”, whereby new cases with identical or similar charges are added as release dates approach, effectively extending detention for years without genuine trials or effective judicial oversight.
The experts emphasised that trying lawyers before terrorism circuits, courts that have previously raised UN concerns regarding their independence and compliance with fair trial standards, constitutes a grave infringement of defence rights. This is particularly concerning in light of the deliberate conflation between lawyers and their clients and the criminalisation of legal assistance as a form of alleged criminal activity.
They stressed that these practices violate Egypt’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly provisions related to the right to liberty and security of person, fair trial guarantees, and freedoms of expression and association. They also contravene the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, which guarantee lawyers the right to perform their professional duties without intimidation, interference, or persecution.
In conclusion, the UN experts called on the Egyptian government to provide clear legal justifications for the arrest and prosecution of lawyers, to put an end to the practice of case rotation and arbitrary detention, to ensure the release of those arbitrarily detained, and to investigate violations associated with these cases. They further stressed the need to review the use of counter-terrorism legislation in line with international standards and to guarantee a safe and enabling environment that allows lawyers and human rights defenders to carry out their work without fear of retaliation or persecution.