The recent crackdown by the government of Egypt on social media users supporting calls for political change highlights grave human rights violations and the suppression of fundamental freedoms.
Development Diaries reports that at least 59 people, including four women, have been unlawfully detained by security officials since late December 2024 for sharing content from the Facebook page ‘Revolution of the Joints’ or engaging in conversation on a Telegram channel of the same name.
According to Amnesty International, the crackdown took place ahead of the anniversary of the 25 January 2011 revolution, a time when authorities routinely escalate repression to prevent any peaceful protests.
These arbitrary arrests for simply expressing dissent online violate the right to freedom of expression, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Egypt is a signatory.
The government’s criminalisation of peaceful political expression is a deliberate attempt to silence dissenting opinions and reduce democratic participation.
The reported instances of enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention further compound the severity of these abuses.
Also, the detention of individuals without access to legal representation or contact with their families violates Article 9 of the ICCPR, which protects individuals from arbitrary detention and guarantees the right to a fair trial.
Furthermore, enforced disappearances, such as those lasting up to 41 days, contravene international human rights standards and expose detainees to heightened risks of torture and ill-treatment.
Torture and other forms of inhumane treatment remain a pressing concern.
The accounts of detainees being subjected to verbal abuse, beatings, and even electric shocks according to findings by Amnesty International, directly contradict Egypt’s obligations under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
More concerning is the failure of prosecutors to investigate these allegations, which also signals complicity in human rights violations.
The use of the judiciary as a tool for repression undermines the rule of law and further erodes public trust in the justice system.
Moreover, the broader context of these arrests underscores the Egyptian government’s consistent pattern of stifling dissent, particularly around politically sensitive dates such as the anniversary of the 2011 revolution.
The state’s pretext of using terrorism-related charges to prosecute peaceful protesters mirrors past crackdowns, such as the July 2024 arrests related to the ‘Dignity Revolution’.
By framing dissent as a security threat, the government is justifying repression at the expense of fundamental human rights, exacerbating economic grievances and public discontent.
Development Diaries calls on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government to immediately release all individuals arbitrarily detained for exercising their right to free expression and cease its systematic repression of dissent.
Authorities must respect their obligations under international human rights law, ensure due process, and conduct independent investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment.
Instead of criminalising criticism, the government should address the underlying economic and social concerns that drive public dissatisfaction.
Photo source: Khaled Desouki/AFP
