On the 2nd of July, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council concluded its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Egyptian government’s human rights record. Dozens of states from around the world made recommendations to Egypt on steps it should take to improve human rights policy and end rights violations. According to the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), out of 343 recommendations made to Egypt, the government agreed to take concrete, measurable action to halt human rights violations five times, representing only 1.4 percent of total recommendations.
“The Egyptian government’s complete refusal to halt widespread rights violations during the UPR process should be a wake-up call for the world. President Sisi and his regime have made it clear that they will continue to arbitrarily imprison tens of thousands, abuse women and minorities, and kidnap, torture and murder with impunity. It’s time for more than just recommendations if we want to see real change.” said Jeremie Smith, Geneva Office Director for CIHRS.
During the review the Egyptian government refused either to halt rights violations or to recognize the existence of serious violations altogether 134 times.
In particular, Egypt either rejected or dismissed recommendations to release political prisoners and end arbitrary arrests 12 times; this included a direct refusal to release pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fatah made by the United Kingdom and Luxembourg.
In addition, the Egyptian government rejected or dismissed recommendations to stop attacks against independent civil society and journalists 19 times, as well as to end torture and ill-treatment 6 times.
The government also refused to ensure accountability for those who have committed torture and other human rights violations 7 times. In one notable instance, Egypt flagrantly rejected calls by Italy to ensure accountability for officers who abducted, tortured and murdered Italian citizen Giulio Regeni.
Egypt also rejected recommendations to halt violence and discrimination against women, minorities and members of the LGBT+ community 25 times, including repeatedly rejecting calls to criminalize marital rape, as well as forced virginity and anal exams.
A summary of civil society contributions to Egypt’s UPR released at the end of last year highlighted that the human rights situation in Egypt is worse than at any point in its modern history and continues to deteriorate. Brutal, widespread and systematic violations of fundamental human rights maintain a highly autocratic and corrupt military regime that has overseen a steady collapse of the Egyptian economy, an increasing dependence on influxes of foreign aid to prop up basic government functions and the worsening of living standards throughout the country. The summary concludes with a stark warning: “If this situation persists…a catastrophic explosion is increasingly likely in the coming period.”
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