Egypt nationwide dialogue marred by wave of arrests

Soccer supporters jailed, presidential candidates behind bars, human rights activists placed on a “terrorist listing”… NGOs accuse Egyptian authorities of repression one month into the nation’s nationwide dialogue.

Cairo inaugurated its long-delayed “nationwide dialogue” on World Press Freedom Day, promising to present a platform to opposition voices which have been largely silenced since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took workplace in 2014.

Critics have denounced it as a public relations stunt designed to burnish a dismal human rights document.

The launch passed off on Might 3 and that very same morning authorities arrested journalist Hassan el-Kabbany.

He was launched later the identical day, with dialogue coordinator Diaa Rashwan saying the detention was an unlucky case of “mistaken identification”.

The general public ought to “distinguish between remoted instances and broader phenomena” such because the opening of area totally free expression, Rashwan mentioned.

That very same week, police nonetheless arrested 16 family and supporters of Ahmed al-Tantawi, after the previous opposition lawmaker introduced he would run in subsequent yr’s presidential election.

Sixteen had been accused of becoming a member of or financing a “terrorist group” together with possession of weapons and publishing materials that “undermines public safety”, Human Rights Watch mentioned.

9 others had been “kidnapped en path to” his Cairo workplace, Tantawi mentioned.

Tantawi introduced his presidential bid from exile in March, having fled Egypt final yr amid experiences he confronted “safety threats”.

An outpoken critic of Sisi, who advised a parliamentary session in 2019: “I neither like nor belief the president,” Tantawi mentioned he wished to supply a “democratic various”.

However on Might 6, the opposition champion introduced he was delaying his return to Egypt due to the specter of jail hanging over family and supporters.

Government pardons committee

The nationwide dialogue is merely a “manoeuvre to look as if they’re making an attempt to begin a brand new web page, when in actual fact they’re simply making an attempt to enhance their picture,” Human Rights Watch’s Amr Magdi advised AFP.

“There’s actually no change in any respect.”

Within the face of persistent criticism of Egypt’s human rights document, Sisi introduced plans for the nationwide dialogue in late 2021, adopted by the revival of the manager pardons committee in April final yr.

Since then, authorities have launched 1,000 political prisoners amid a lot fanfare, however virtually 3,000 extra have been detained, Egyptian rights displays mentioned.

In latest weeks, arrests have develop into extra frequent.

On April 22, police detained 20 followers of Al Ahly SC, Africa’s most profitable soccer membership, throughout a house recreation in Cairo, the Egyptian Entrance for Human Rights (EFHR) mentioned.

The membership’s ultras performed a central position within the 2011 rebellion that toppled long-time chief Hosni Mubarak and have been persistently focused by authorities.

Cairo’s Al Ahly SC is Africa’s most profitable soccer membership, however its ultras performed a central position within the Arab Spring rebellion of 2011 and are a frequent goal for arrest by Egyptian authorities.

Requires followers to burn their supporters’ playing cards and boycott subsequent matches prompted 39 extra arrests, the EFHR mentioned.

Police alleged that these detained “belong to the terrorist ultras group” and supposed to “vandalise the Cairo stadium”, the EFHR added.

New ‘rehabilitation facilities’

Authorities decline to launch particular figures however human rights teams estimate that tens of hundreds of political prisoners languish in Egypt’s jails.

In 2022, at Badr jail alone, judges authorized practically 99 % of greater than 25,000 functions to maintain defendants in custody pending trial, EFHR mentioned.

Human rights teams have repeatedly criticised what they name a “revolving door” justice system in Egypt, through which prisoners nearing the utmost two years’ on remand face new costs to maintain them in detention.

Authorities have opened new “rehabilitation centres” lately, internet hosting libraries, workshops and meals processing crops.

The sprawling desert complexes are supposed to interchange older prisons, the place rights teams say inmates face continual overcrowding.

To date this yr, 14 inmates have died in custody, no less than 5 of them in rehabilitation centres, displays say.

Authorities refuse to launch particular figures however rights teams estimate tens of hundreds of political prisoners languish in Egypt’s jails.

“There will probably be no free and honest election,” HRW’s Magdi mentioned.

“Individuals are being arrested for Fb posts, not to mention working for election.”

On April 14, NGOs found on the state’s bulletin that amongst 81 new Egyptian additions to the “terrorist listing” many had been members of the teams.

 They are going to be banned from travelling and accessing their financial institution accounts for the following 5 years.