While the prominent human rights lawyer Mohammad Al-Baqir was attending investigations atthe supreme state security prosecution with the political activist Alaa Abd al-Fattah at the end of September, he was surprised that the prosecution ordered that he be detained and informed him that he is wanted under the same case.
The prosecution accused Al-Baqir of “belonging to a terrorist group, financing terrorism, spreading false news that undermines national security,” and then ordered his preventive detention. After that, he wastransferred blindfolded to al-Aqrab Prison, the prison with the worst reputation in Egypt.
Al-Baqir was physically and verbally abused, hisbasic rights were violated from the moment he entered prison. He was forced to walk while bending his back, showered by insults and abuse. He was stripped of all his belongings, even his personal hygiene items. They put on his prison clothes while he was blindfolded and he was driven to a cell while not being allowed to shower or change his underclothes for nine days. The prison administration also refused al-Baqir’s request to see the prison doctor and prevented him from buying clean food or water, his wife said.
The prosecution delayed the decision on a request made by Al-Baqir’s lawyer to enable him to visit his ill father, who was in intensive care. He died before seeing his son, but al-Baqir was allowed to attend the funeral.
Why al-Baqir?
Egyptian authorities are currently carrying out a systematic campaign targeting human rights lawyers who took on the mission of defending those arrested after the demonstrations of September 20, that demanded the toppling of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s regime and accused it of corruption. Among the most prominent that have been arrested along with al-Baqir are Mahienour el-Massry, and Amr Imam.
تجديد حبس المحامي الحقوقي محمد الباقر ١٥ يوما في اتهامه بنشر أخبار كاذبة
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قررت نيابة أمن الدولة العليا، اليوم الأربعاء، تجديد حبس المحامي الحقوقي البارز، محمد الباقر، ١٥ يوما آخرى.
حلء ذلك على ذمة اتهامه في القضية رقم ١٣٥٦ لسنة ٢٠١٩ حصر أمن دولة، والمتهم فيها بنشر أخبار كاذبة ومشاركة جماعة إرهابية.#دفتر_أحوال_المحاكم_والنيابات #المفوضية_المصرية_للحقوق_والحريات
The torture in custody of Alaa Abdel Fattah, a blogger and activist who rose to fame during the 2011 uprising, as well as the mistreatment of his lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer, are chilling illustrations of the ruthless tactics the Egyptian authorities are prepared to use to silence critics, said Amnesty International today.
Following his arrest on 29 September during the authorities’ latest crackdown, Alaa Abdel Fattah was transferred to Egypt’s notorious Tora maximum security prison 2, known as al-Aqrab 2 – where prison officers blindfolded him, stripped him of his clothing, beat and kicked him repeatedly, and subjected him to threats and verbal abuse.
One police officer told him prison was “made for people like you”, adding that he would be in prison for the rest of his life. A National Security Agency officer warned he would face further torture if he reported the abuse.
“Alaa Abdel Fattah’s torture in custody illustrates the Egyptian authorities’ use of extreme brutality to crush dissent and shows the extreme lengths that they are prepared to go to in order to intimidate perceived government critics,” said Najia Bounaim, North Africa Campaigns Director at Amnesty International.
Alaa Abdel Fattah’s lawyer, Mohammed el-Baqer, a well-known human rights defender and director of Adala Center for Rights and Freedoms, was also arrested on 29 September and has been subjected to ill-treatment at the same prison.
In prison, Egyptian rights lawyer Mohamed el-Baker has been subject to insults and humiliation; denied access to a doctor, clean drinking water, the prison canteen; deprived of his personal belongings and not allowed to shower; made to sleep on the floor https://t.co/aoQSfnZmPspic.twitter.com/cSogURQh3A
Activist and writer Alaa Abd El Fattah (@alaa) and his lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer were targeted and arrested during the recent crackdown in #Egypt because of their work defending human rights. HRF calls for their safe, immediate release. https://t.co/NrXwtbg1Le
#Egypt: We denounce the ongoing detention, threats and acts of ill-treatment while in detention against @alaa Abdel Fattah,member of “No to Military Trials for Civilians”, and Mohamed El-Baqer, Director of Adalah Center for Rights and Freedoms.https://t.co/9xpJ44lMDVpic.twitter.com/lGin83t43V
Since protests broke out across #Egypt, the authorities have launched the largest crackdown since President @AlsisiOfficial came into power. More than 2800 people were arrested, at least 169 of them children, some of them lawyers, journalists, & human rights defenders. pic.twitter.com/BuH5t9cKkT
Yesterday, the pretrial detention of Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah and human rights lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer (who was arrested while attending Alaa's interrogation in his professional capacity) was extended 15 days in Case No. 1356. pic.twitter.com/BBCajDD5ax
Day by day, Egypt is showing that there are no limits to its brutality and utter disregard for human rights. Activist Alaa Abdelfatah was tortured in prison, while his lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer was subjected to mistreatment and inhumane conditions of detention. pic.twitter.com/AN36pP5IXU
الباقر يُطالب بنقله من سجن العقرب ٢
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أثناء التحقيق مع المحامي الحقوقي محمد الباقر أمام نيابة أمن الدولة أمس، قال إنه عند نقله إلى سجن “شديد الحراسة ٢” في يوم ٣٠ سبتمبر ٢٠١٩ تم تغمية عينيه وجعله يسير محني الظهر مع سيل من الإهانات، كما قاموا بتجريده من كل ما يملك – حتى أدوات النظافة الشخصية – وإلباسه زي السجن وهو مغمض العينين بصورة مهينة، ثم إقتياده إلى الزنزانة.
ظل الباقر بنفس ملابسه الداخلية التي تم القبض عليه بها وبدون أي أدوات نظافة لمدة ٩ أيام، وبدون السماح له بالاستحمام، بالإضافة إلى النوم على الأرض، مما أصابه بآلام في الظهر والقطنية وكتفه، وبمرض جلدي، وطلب عرضه على طبيب السجن وقُوبل طلبه بالرفض من قبل إدارة السجن. يُعاني الباقر من مشاكل في الكُلى وتم منعه من شراء مياه نظيفة، أو طعام من كانتين السجن بالرغم من ترك ذويه لنقود في الأمانات الخاصة به – كما هو متبع في السجون – مما إضطره لشرب مياه السجن غير النظيفة حتى اليوم وإلى تناول طعام غير آدمي، بالإضافة إلى سوء التهوية داخل الزنزانة ومنعه من الخروج للتريض خارجها طوال مدة إحتجازه. هذا مع إستمرار المعاملة المهينة بصورة يومية داخل الزنزانة، والتي بدأت عند الإستقبال داخل السجن.
ويستنكر الباقر إحتجازه داخل سجن “شديد الحراسة ٢”على الرغم من كونه محامي حقوقي، وذلك بالإضافة إلى ظروف إحتجازه غير الآدمية، ويطالب بنقله لسجن آخر ذو ظروف أكثر آدمية، كحد أدنى وتحسين ظروف الإحتجاز في هذا السجن.
Lawyer and HRD Mohamed Elbaker demands transfer from Scorpion 2 prison
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During the questioning of Baker by state security prosecution yesterday, he said that during his transfer to High Security Prison 2 on the 30th of September 2019, blindfolded and was made to walk bending while subjected to insults and humiliation. He was deprived of all his belongings including items of personal hygiene and was dressed in prison uniform, while blindfolded in a degrading manner, and was then lead to his cell.
Baker remained in the same underwear he had on when he was arrested and without any personal hygiene items for 9 days. He was not allowed to shower and was left to sleep on the floor, resulting in pains in his back and shoulders. He also contracted a skin infection, when he asked to be examined by the prison doctor, his request was denied.
Baker also suffers from renal problems. He was denied access to clean drinking water or food from the prison canteen although his family had left money in his name in the prison safe, as is the rule in prisons. He had to drink the polluted prison water and consume food of extremely bad quality, in addition to lack of ventilation in his cell and denying him any time out of it. The humiliating treatment that began on the first day continues daily until the time of writing this statement.
Baker rejects his detention in High Security Prison 2 despite the fact that he is a human rights lawyer. His prison conditions are inhumane. He demands the transfer to another prison with more humane conditions satisfying he minimal standards of detention as well as the improvement of conditions in this prison.
Over the past 12 days, Egyptian authorities have launched the biggest crackdown under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s rule rounding up more than 2,300 people – at least 111 of them children – said Amnesty International today. The authorities have carried out sweeping arrests of hundreds of peaceful protesters as well as carrying out more targeted arbitrary arrests of human rights lawyers, journalists, political activists and politicians.
The vast majority of those arrested are being investigated as part of one single case. If referred to trial, it would be the largest protest-related criminal case in Egypt’s history.
“President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government has orchestrated this crackdown to crush the slightest sign of dissent and silence every government critic. The wave of unprecedented mass arrests, which included many who were not even involved in the protests, sends a clear message – anyone perceived to pose a threat to Sisi’s government will be crushed,” said Najia Bounaim, North Africa Campaigns Director for Amnesty International.
“Participating in a peaceful protest is not a crime. The Egyptian authorities’ draconian response to the peaceful demonstrations illustrates their utter contempt for human rights and displays a flagrant disregard for the rights to peaceful protest and freedom of expression. The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of assembly or expression.“
In a rare challenge to President al-Sisi, and his government, small protests broke out in several cities across Egypt starting on 20 September. The Egyptian authorities sought to prevent a second round of protests on 27 September by shutting down large parts of downtown Cairo and carrying out mass arrests.
An official statement from Egypt’s Office of the Public Prosecutor on 26 September stated that “less than 1,000 people” have been interrogated in relation to their peaceful participation in protests. It confirmed that the defendants’ social media accounts had been searched for evidence of “incitement to protesting”. The statement mentioned that calls to protest posted on social media would be considered evidence of the “crime” of “unauthorized assembly”.
Human rights lawyers working with organizations including the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) and Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) have documented at least 2,300 arrests so far. According to lawyers, scores of detainees have been released without questioning, but many others continue to appear in front of prosecutors.
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Lawyers, journalists and politicians rounded up
Amnesty International has documented the arrest of 10 journalists, remarkably most of them working for pro-government media outlets, primarily in Suez and Mahalla, and at least 25 politicians and academics from four different political parties. They include Khaled Dawoud, journalist and former head of liberal Dostour party, as well as political science professors Hassan Nefea and Hazem Hosny. At least ten are facing investigation on “terrorism-related” charges.
In a serious blow to defendants’ rights to provide a legal defence, lawyers have also been targeted with at least four arrested while carrying out their work and a total of 16 lawyers have been arrested.
On 29 September, human rights lawyer and director of the Adalah Center for Rights and Freedoms Mohamed el-Baqer entered the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) building to represent detained activist Alaa Abdelfattah only to be arrested on the same unfounded charges as his client. These include “membership in a banned group” and “spreading false information”. The prosecutor questioned him about his organization’s work and did not present any evidence against him except a National Security Agency investigation report, which neither he nor his lawyer have been allowed to examine.
Amnesty International considers Mohammed el-Baqer a prisoner of conscience who is detained solely for his work defending victims of human rights violations. The organization is calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
“The vast scale and arbitrary nature of the arrests is clear indicator of how unnerved the Egyptian authorities are feeling about the prospect of further protests,” said Najia Bounaim.
✊#Avocatsendanger#Etatdedroit Le CCBE condamne fermement les récentes attaques contre des avocats en 🇦🇱Albanie 🇩🇿Algérie 🇩🇪Allemagne 🇨🇳Chine 🇪🇬Égypte 🇯🇲Jamaïque 🇵🇭Les Philippines 🇿🇦Afrique du Sud 🇹🇯Tadjikistan 🇱🇺Pays-Bas et 🇹🇷Turquie ⬇️https://t.co/B6aab8Gfc7
🔴 [AVOCAT EN DANGER] Mahienour El-Masry, avocate égyptienne spécialiste des droits de l'Homme à nouveau arrêtée, ce 22 septembre 2019, à la sortie du tribunal du Caire où elle venait de défendre des manifestants arrêtés. En savoir plus ➡️ https://t.co/gHaTLweqyrpic.twitter.com/wmBzoptxmY
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Thailand.
New information:
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the acquittal of Mr. Sirawit Seritiwat, Ms. Nattha Mahatthana, Ms. Chonticha Jaengrew, Mr. Karn Phongprapaphan, Mr. Sukrit Piansuwan, and human rights lawyer Mr. Anon Nampa for their involvement in a peaceful demonstration held on February 10, 2018 in Bangkok. All six were charged and prosecuted under Article 116 of the Thai Criminal Code (‘sedition’). They faced up to seven years in prison each (see background information).
According to the information received, on September 20, 2019, at approximately 10:30am, the Bangkok’s Criminal Court found all six defendants not guilty of the sedition charges. The court found that the demonstration was peaceful, there was no chaos, there was no use of weapons, and police had received prior notification of the protest.
The court appearance of a seventh defendant, Mr. Rangsiman Rome, was postponed until mid-2020 in consideration of the parliamentary schedule. Mr. Rangsiman was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in the March 24, 2019 polls.
The seven defendants were among a group of 50 protesters who were also charged with violating Article 12 of National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Order 3/2015, which banned political gatherings of more than four people. All charges with regard to this alleged violation were dropped following the repeal of Article 12 of NCPO Order 3/2015 on July 9, 2019.
The Observatory welcomes the acquittal of Mr. Sirawit Seritiwat, Ms. Nattha Mahatthana, Ms. Chonticha Jaengrew, Mr. Karn Phongprapaphan, Mr. Sukrit Piansuwan, and Mr. Anon Nampa, but recalls that the six should never have been prosecuted in the first place.
More than 500 people have been arrested across Egypt since demonstrations broke out in Cairo and other cities, a local rights group said Monday.
Hundreds of Egyptians took to the streets on Friday and Saturday in rare demonstrations calling for the departure of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
“The latest count of those arrested over the events of since Friday in Cairo and other provinces has risen to 516,” the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights said in a statement.
On Sunday, Egyptian authorities also detained an award-winning human rights lawyer after she attended judicial investigations into the arrests of protesters.
A judicial official said Mahienour el-Massry had been placed in pre-trial detention for 15 days on charges of “taking part with a terrorist group to achieve its goals and publishing false news”.
Massry, a political activist and human rights defender, has been tried and jailed twice for taking part herself in demonstrations.
Egypt effectively banned protests under a law passed following Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s 2013 ouster by the army.
Prominent human rights lawyer Mahienour el Masry is reportedly one of the hundreds arrested in Egypt since mass protests began on Friday calling for an end to President Sisi’s rule.pic.twitter.com/3zk4UWra9o
Tarek al-Awadi Mwanasheria wa Mahienour El-Massry anasema mwanasheria huyu alikamatwa muda mfupi tu baada ya kuondoka katika ofisi ya mwendesha mashataka wa serikali jijini Cairo alipokuwa akifuatiliwa kukamatwa kwa waandamaji.
very strong & touching behind bars the human rights lawyer Mahienour El-Massry and how she is challenging the regime inside court hall and call for the revolution.#Egyptpic.twitter.com/dmKPHem6Ap
Mahienour El-Massry is accused on the grounds of previous open case at State Security Prosecution Court following events after the Ramsis Train Station accident in Feb 2019..this case also includes Kamal Khalil, who was also arrested from home days ago #FreeEgypt#freeMahienour
القرار بعد التحقيق مع ماهينور: حبسها لاستكمال التحقيقات في القضية ٤٨٨ لسنة ٢٠١٩ أمن دولة، وهي المعروفة إعلاميا بقضية “الزمامير”، حيث دعى البعض للنزول في الشوارع واستخدام الزمامير كشكل للمعارضة.
تم توجيه اتهامات: مشاركة جماعة محظورة ومساعدتها على تحقيق اغراضها و نشر أخبار كاذبة لترويع الرأي العام.
والجدير بالذكر أن ماهينور بالفعل ليس لها أية علاقة بهذه الدعوات
نطالب بالافراج الفوري عن ماهينور التي تم القبض عليها فقط لتأدية عملها كمحامية #FreeMahienour
State Security Prosecution decides to imprison Mahienour pending a court case known in the media as “Beeps case”, where some people called for using beeping in the streets as a way of protest.
Mahienour is accused of taking part with and helping an illegal group achieve their goals, and spreading false news to terrify the public.
It is worth mentioning that Mahienour has NOTHING to do with these calls.
We call for immediate release of Mahienour, who has only been arrested for doing her work as a lawyer.
The next Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Egypt’s human rights record is scheduled for 13 November 2019, under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. We are writing to strongly urge your government to use this occasion to address the ongoing human rights crisis in Egypt.
Since the last review of Egypt’s record in 2014, human rights violations have increased sharply and the undersigned organisations and our partners have documented unprecedented levels of repression against human rights organisations and human rights defenders. The UPR is an opportunity for States to contribute to reversing these trends and promoting respect for human rights in Egypt.
We urge your government to take part in the UPR process and to make concrete recommendations to the Egyptian authorities to urgently address the following issues:
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Immediately and unconditionally release all human rights defenders, civil society activists and all those detained or imprisoned solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, including lawyers, journalists, labour rights activists, minority rights activists, and LGBTQI activists. Put a stop to excessive police probation measures and the use of prolonged pre-trial detention to punish dissenters, close Case 173/2011 against Egyptian NGOs and lift arbitrary travel bans on human rights defenders.
The UN Committee Against Torture has expressed concern over the allegations of routine torture, ill-treatment by Bangladeshi law enforcement
The United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) has recommended that the Bangladesh government commission independent inquiry into allegations of torture and ill-treatment raised against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
The UN agency unveiled its findings on human rights records in Bangladesh, along with several recommendations, yesterday, according to a news release forwarded by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.
The findings, officially termed concluding observations, contain positive aspects of Bangladesh in implementing the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, highlight the UN body’s main matters of concern in terms of human rights violation, and make recommendations regarding the allegations of such violations.
In the report, the Committee Against Torture expressed concern at consistent reports alleging widespread and routine torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement officials for the purpose of obtaining confessions or to solicit the payment of bribes, the lack of publicly available information on these cases, and failure to ensure accountability for law enforcement agencies, particularly the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
The committee is seriously concerned at numerous, consistent reports of arbitrary arrests, unacknowledged detention and enforced disappearances, and reports of excessive use of force, including in the context of recent elections and public demonstrations.
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The other observations
The UN Committee Against Torture expressed concern about alleged pressure on the judiciary that constrains fundamental legal safeguards. The limited use of the mandate of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate torture was noted as an issue.
It also expressed concern about inadequate prison conditions, violence against women and ethnic and religious minorities, and corporal punishment in law and against children. It is also concerned about trafficking, including that of the Rohingyas. It noted that civil society activists and human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists have faced harassment and violence for dealing with torture cases and other serious human rights violations.
RE: Ongoing threats against human rights defenders in the Maldives
Dear Mr. President,
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), is writing to you to express its deepest concern over the ongoing threats and harassment against human rights defenders in the Maldives.
The Observatory has received information that at least 15 human rights defenders, including journalists, lawyers, and non-governmental organisation (NGO) workers, have been subjected to repeated acts of harassment and intimidation online since you took office in November 2018. In many cases, such acts have amounted to hate speech and death threats, which foster a dangerous environment for human rights defenders and impede them from doing their work.
Human rights defenders who have advocated for the respect of human rights, gender equality, and accountability for violations, as well as those who have expressed their support for religious tolerance, have been especially targeted. Online news outlet Vaguthu Online, Facebook page Siru Arts, and the now defunct Telegram channel Murtad Watch [‘Apostate Watch’] Mv have been the preferred platforms for religious extremists to attacks human rights defenders and label them as “un-Islamic”, “anti-religious” or “apostates.” Such platforms have also encouraged users to directly threaten human rights defenders with violence, often hiding behind anonymous Twitter or Facebook accounts.
At least 83 persons, including political opposition activists, journalists and human rights defenders, have been arrested in Egypt over terrorist charges since June 25 for their alleged implication in a plot against the State. FIDH, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) denounce this new crackdown and call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release and end any act of harassment, including at the judicial level, against all peaceful activists, in particular political opponents and human rights defenders in Egypt. Former member of Parliament and human rights lawyer Zyad al-Elaimy was arrested on June 25, 2019 by a dozen of plainclothes national security agents after leaving a friend’s house in Cairo’s Maadi district, around 2 a.m. Seven political opposition figures were also arrested on the same night. In a statement, the Ministry of Interior abusively accused Mr. Zyad al-Elaimy and the other detainees of involvement in a plan financed through leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood – which was banned and declared a terrorist organisation in Egypt in 2013 – abroad “to carry out violent and disorderly acts against State institutions simultaneously with creating a state of revolutionary momentum”.“Mr. Zyad al-Elaimy was involved in the creation of a movement bringing together political parties and social movements on a pro human rights agenda”, said Neil Hicks, Senior Director for Advocacy at CIHRS. The Egyptian authorities, relayed by the official media, have renamed it the “Hope Plan”, and wrongly accused its alleged supporters of terrorism and undermining State security, in a typical attempt to silence dissidence.The pre-trial detention of Mr. Zyad al-Elaimy and the other detainees has been renewed by the State Security Prosecution since then, pending investigation into State Security case No. 930/2019, in which the defendants face charges of “engaging with a terrorist group to achieve its goals” and “spreading false news and statements”.
