New information

EGY 002 / 0518 / OBS 059.3

Arbitrary detention /

Judicial harassment

Egypt

June 8, 2018

The Observatory for the Protection ofHuman Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT) and FIDH, has received new information and requests your urgentintervention in the following situation in Egypt.

New information:

The Observatory has been informed by reliablesources about the ongoing arbitrary detention of Ms. Amal Fathy, a woman human rightsdefender known for being vocal against human rights violations, in particulararbitrary detentions of activists in Egypt. Ms. Fathy is married to Mr. MohamedLotfy, Executive Director of the Egyptian Commission for Rightsand Freedoms (ECRF), and a former member of the now banned “April 6 YouthMovement”.

According to theinformation received, on June 7, 2018, the Maadi Prosecutor extended for thethird time Ms. Amal Fathy’s preventive detention for a further 2-week period, without providing anyreason. She isaccused of “broadcasting a video harming nationalsecurity”, “posting avideo inciting to overthrow the regime and spreading false rumors”, and “misusing socialmedia” within the Case No. 7991 of 2018.

The Observatory strongly condemns the ongoingarbitrary detention of Ms. Amal Fathy, which seems to merely aim at punishing herfor her peaceful and legitimate human rights activities and those of herhusband, Mr. Mohamed Lotfy. Indeed, this is not the first time that ECRF andits members are subjected to harassment, due to their documentation of cases oftorture in prisons, enforced disappearances as well as their legalsupport in Giulio Regeni’scase. The raid on Mr. Mohamed Lotfy’s house andthe arrest of his wife Amal Fathy actually took place one week before the visit of the Italian technicalteam to review video footage in connection with the 2016 torture and killing ofthe Italian researcher.

The Observatory urges theEgyptian authorities to release Ms. Amal Fathy immediately and unconditionally, to drop all charges against herand to put an end to all forms of harassment against her, including at thejudicial level.

Background information:

On May 9, 2018,Ms. Amal Fathy posted a 12-minute video on Facebook criticising theEgyptian Government for failing to protect women against sexual harassment aswell as over a general deterioration in living conditions in the country.

The next day,pro-government and State-owned media outlets released articles citing thevideo, identifying Ms. Fathy as an “April 6 Youth movement” activist and thewife of Mohamed Lotfy and accusing her of insulting Egypt and Egyptianinstitutions. This was followed by a wave of harassment and threats on socialmedia against Ms. Fathy.

On May 11, 2018, at around2.30 am, Egyptian security forces broke into the house in Cairo of Ms. AmalFathy and Mr. Mohamed Lotfy and started searching the house. Their mobilephones were seized and they were denied the right to communicate with a lawyeror their relatives. The two activists were brought to Maadi police station, inthe south of Cairo, along with their three-year-old son.

Around three hours later,Mr. Lotfy and his son were released. The Maadi Prosecutor subsequently placedMs. Amal Fathy under preventive detention for 15 days within the Criminal caseNo. 7991 of 2018.

On May 12, 2018, Ms. Amal Fathy was transferred to Qanater women’s prison.

On May 13, 2018, Ms. Amal Fathy was questioned bythe High StateSecurity Prosecutionabout the “April 6 Youth Movement”, ECRF and the activities of herhusband. She was then ordered to be placed under preventive detention for anadditional 15 days in theframework of another case, Criminal case No. 621 of 2018, under which she isfacing new charges of “membership ofan illegal organisation”, “using theInternet to disseminate ideas that seek to call for terrorist acts” and“broadcasting false news to disrupt public security and harm national interest”in relation to the posting of the same video.

On May 24, the MaadiProsecutor extended Ms. Amal Fathy’s preventive detention for 15 additionaldays within Case No. 7991 of 2018, without providing reason. Ms. Fathy appealedthe decision. On May 30,2018, Ms. Fathy’s appeal was rejected.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities of Egyptasking them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physicaland psychological integrity of Ms. Amal Fathy, Mr. Mohamed Lotfy, theirrelatives and all human rights defenders in Egypt;

ii. Immediately and unconditionallyrelease Ms. AmalFathy as her detention is arbitrary as it is merely aimed at punishing herfor her human rights activities as well as those of her husband;

iii. Put an end to all acts of harassment,including at the judicial level, against Ms. Amal Fathy as well as againstMr. Mohamed Lotfy and all human rights defenders in Egypt, and ensure that they are able tocarry out their activities without hindrance;

iv. Conform with the provisions of the UNDeclaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the UnitedNations on December 9, 1998, especially Articles 1, 6(c) and 12.2; and

v. More generally, ensure in allcircumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with internationaland regional human rights instruments ratified by Egypt.

Addresses:

· President of the Arab Republic ofEgypt, H.E. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Fax: +202 2391 1441. Email: p.spokesman@op.gov.eg, Twitter: @AlsisiOfficial

· Prime Minister, Mr. Sherif Ismail. Fax: + 202 2735 6449 / 27958016.

· Minister of the Interior, Mr. MagdiAbdel-Ghaffar, Fax: +202 2579 2031 / 2794 5529

· Minister of Justice, Mohamed HossamAbdel-Rahim, Fax: +202 2795 8103 


· Minister of Social Solidarity, GhadaWaly, Fax: +202 3337 5390

· Public Prosecutor, Counsellor NabeelSadek, Fax: +202 2577 4716

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

· H.E. Mr. Amr Ramadan, Ambassador,Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Email:mission.egypt@ties.itu.int, Fax: +41 22 738 44 15

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

Please also write to the diplomatic missions or embassies of Egypt inyour respective country.

***

Geneva-Paris, June 8, 2018

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 the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT) and FIDH. The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent orremedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCTare both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights DefendersMechanism implemented by international civil society.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29

·Tel and fax FIDH + 33 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 4355 18 80