Egypt’s arbitrary detention and prosecution of dozens of citizens carrying out peaceful demonstrations is a violation of human rights.

Development Diaries reports that at least 72 individuals, including four children, were detained by security forces in Cairo and Alexandria between 20 and 24 October, after they took part in nationwide Palestinian solidarity mass demonstrations, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

It is understood that the arrests resulted from widespread demonstrations against the hostilities in Gaza, some of which were organised and some of which were spontaneous.

The arrest also stemmed from a protest in North Sinai related to the right to land, a gathering in connection with the presidential vote scheduled for December, and a teachers’ protest objecting to job disqualification policies.

According to HRW’s findings, security personnel have forcibly scattered and arrested demonstrators at other peaceful anti-government events held throughout October.

It must be emphasised that freedom of peaceful assembly is guaranteed under Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a party.

Furthermore, under Article 73 of Egypt’s 2014 constitution, citizens have the right to organise public meetings, marches, demonstrations and all forms of peaceful protest, while not carrying weapons of any type, upon providing notification as regulated by law.

Egypt needs to act immediately to uphold and defend citizens’ right to peaceful assembly and to control the use of force and weapons by the police during such gatherings, as required by international law.

Development Diaries urges the Egyptian government to honour its commitments under international human rights law by protecting the right to peaceful protest.

Also, all claims of human rights abuses must be looked into, and all those detained for participating in peaceful protests must be released and all charges against them dropped.

Photo source: AP/Nariman El-Mofty