Human rights groups have said they are watching the human rights situation in Egypt with great concern, especially the government’s restrictions on rights and freedoms and civil society and the opposition. Twelve organisations explained in a joint statement that the authorities have for years used draconian laws to subjugate citizens and stifle all forms of dissent, adding that under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, tens of thousands have faced unfair prison sentences. They noted that Egypt has become among the three worst countries in the world regarding the number of journalists imprisoned and that the regime has used violent tactics, including extrajudicial killings, against the opposition.
The authorities have also carried out an unprecedented number of executions, making Egypt the third in the world in the number of performances recorded in 2021, they added. The Committee for Justice and the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression are among the organisations. They called on the government to unblock the websites of more than 700 organisations, release detained journalists, and stop imposing restrictions on the media. They also demanded the immediate release of those detained solely for peacefully exercising their rights, a halt to the prosecution of civil society activists, and a guarantee of space to work without fear of reprisals. Egypt hosts COP27 in November amid criticism of the human rights situation in the country.
