Arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance of Ms. Asmaa Dabees

Egypt

September 30, 2019

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, apartnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requestsyour urgent intervention in the following situation in Egypt.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about thearbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance of Ms. Asmaa Dabees, one ofthe leaders of the Egyptian feminist movement and founder of the “Daughter ofthe Nile”, an initiative working on violence against women in Beheira with afocus on domestic violence, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage. Sheis also a member of the Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders inthe Middle East and North Africa (WHRD-MENA Coalition).

According to the information received, onSeptember 26, 2019, police officers in civilian clothes arrested Ms. AsmaaDabees, her husband, Mr. Mohamed Helmy, and her brother-in-law, in acafe in Damanhour city (Nile Delta). Mr. Mohamed Helmy is a lawyer who has recentlybeen active in representing people arrested during the recent anti-al-Sisidemonstrations.

Thepolice officers handcuffed and blindfolded Ms. Asmaa Dabees and her familymembers before taking them in the police car. Since then, Ms. Asmaa Dabees, herhusband and her brother-in-law’s whereabouts remain unknown and no informationwas provided regarding potential charges against them.

TheObservatory recalls that since the outbreak of popular protests across thecountry on September 20, 2019, calling on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi toresign, at least two thousands of protesters - including minors - have beendetained by the Egyptian authorities, in addition to journalists, lawyers, andmembers of opposition political parties, whichconstitutes a new wave of repression of civil society. Other human rightsdefenders have also been arrested and are deemed to be forcibly disappeared,among them human rights lawyer Mahienour El-Massry, who was arrested onSeptember 22, 2019[1].

TheObservatory expresses its utmost concern over the arbitrary arrest and enforceddisappearance of Ms. Asmaa Dabees and her family members, and urges theEgyptian authorities to immediately disclose their whereabouts and allow themfull access to lawyer and family.

TheObservatory further urges the Egyptian authorities to release Ms. Asmaa Dabeesand her family members immediately and unconditionally and to put an end to allforms of harassment against her, including at the judicial level, as well asagainst all the human rights defenders in Egypt.

Actionsrequested:

Pleasewrite to the authorities in Egypt, urging them to:

i. Guaranteethe physical integrity and psychological well-being of Ms. Asmaa Dabees, Mr. Mohamed Helmy and Ms.Dabees’ brother-in-law, in all circumstances, as well asthat of all human rights defenders in Egypt;

ii. Immediatelydisclose Ms. Asmaa Dabees, Mr. Mohamed Helmy and Ms.Dabees’ brother-in-law’s place of detention and release them immediately andunconditionally: their detention is arbitrary since it only seems to aim atpunishing Ms. Asmaa Dabees and Mr. Mohamed Helmy for their human rightsactivities;

iii. Guarantee theunhindered access of Ms. Asmaa Dabees, Mr. Mohamed Helmy and Ms.Dabees’ brother-in-law and her family members to a lawyer of her choice andher family members;

iv. Put an endto all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Ms. Asmaa Dabees andMr. Mohamed Helmy, as well as of all human rights defenders in Egypt and ensurethat they are able to carry out their activities without hindrance;

v. Conform inall circumstances to the provisions of the Declaration on Human RightsDefenders, adopted on December 9, 1998 by the United Nations General Assembly,in particular its Articles 1 and 12.2.;

vi. Ensure in all circumstances respect for humanrights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rightsinstruments ratified by Egypt.

Addresses:

· Presidentof the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Fax: +202 23911441. Email: p.spokesman@op.gov.eg, Twitter: @AlsisiOfficial

· Prime Minister,Mr. Mustafa Kemal Madbouly Mohamed. Email: pm@cabinet.gov.eg

· Minister of theInterior, Mr. Mahmoud Tawfik, Email: center@iscmi.gov.eg

· Minister of Justice,Mr. Mohamed Hossam Abdel-Rahim, Fax: +202 2795 8103 


· Public Prosecutor,Counsellor Nabeel Sadek, Fax: +202 2577 4716

· Head of the Egyptianparliament’s Human Rights Committee, Mr. Alaa Abed, Email: humanrightscomplaints@parliament.gov.eg

· Mr. Mohamed Fayeq,President of the National Council for Human Rights, Fax: + 202 25747497 /25747670. Email: nchr@nchr.org.eg

· H.E. Mr. AlaaYoussef, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations inGeneva, Switzerland, Email: mission.egypt@bluewin.ch

· Embassy of Egypt inBrussels, Belgium, Fax: +32 2 675.58.88; Email: embassy.egypt@skynet.be

Please alsowrite to the diplomatic missions or embassies of Egypt in your respectivecountry.

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Paris-Geneva, September 30, 2019

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of thisappeal in your reply.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (theObservatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT). The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedysituations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are bothmembers of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented byinternational civil society.

[1] See Observatory Urgent Appeal EGY 003 /0919 / OBS 074, published on September 23, 2019.