Egypt: Investigate Journalist’s Claims about ‘Murder’ of Disappeared Former MP Mostafa El-Naggar

The undersigned human rights organizations demand an urgent and transparent investigation into the complaint submitted by the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms to the Aswan Public Prosecution, on behalf of the family of former Member of Parliament Mostafa al-Naggar. The complaint concerns the public statements made by journalist Mohamed el-Baz, in which he explicitly stated that he possessed information indicating that al-Naggar had been killed on the Egyptian-Sudanese border. The complaint was registered as No. 490 of 2026, Aswan General Petitions.

These statements constitute a direct allegation of an extrajudicial killing, a serious allegation that warrants immediate legal accountability, regardless of its veracity. The Public Prosecution is legally obligated to summon and question Mohamed el-Baz, a journalist known for his close ties to state institutions, when he claims to possess ‘information’ about a murder. This questioning will reveal the sources of this information, how he obtained it, and the basis upon which he asserts the crime occurred.

El-Baz’s statements are particularly serious given that they concern the fate of a former member of parliament and prominent political figure who has been forcibly disappeared for years. No official announcement or court ruling has yet been issued regarding his fate, making any attempt to resolve the case through media narratives legally and ethically unacceptable.

The complaint demands a full criminal investigation into these statements, as they constitute either the disclosure of a serious crime warranting accountability or deliberate misinformation in an ongoing case of enforced disappearance, thus violating the right to truth for both the family and society. Dr. Mostafa al-Naggar’s family has already exhausted all legal avenues and obtained a ruling from the State Council in January 2020 obligating the Ministry of Interior to disclose his whereabouts. This ruling has yet to be implemented. Furthermore, reports submitted to the Public Prosecution have not been seriously addressed, which exacerbates the danger of the irresponsible handling of the case in the media.

Claims of this gravity must be addressed through judicial investigation, not through unsubstantiated media pronouncements. The organizations affirm that protecting the right to life and the right to truth, and advancing justice together with preventing impunity, must begin with a credible investigation into anyone who claims to possess information about serious crimes.

The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances included Mostafa al-Naggar’s case in its official communications to the Egyptian government, as evidenced by its reference report A/HRC/WGEID/135/1. However, the Egyptian authorities failed to provide any response or clarification regarding al-Naggar’s whereabouts or fate, reflecting their continued refusal to cooperate with United Nations mechanisms. The organizations express deep concerns about this official silence, especially given the circulation of claims about his murder in media outlets affiliated with the security apparatus, without any official statement denying, clarifying, or providing an official account of the events. Given these facts, the organizations reaffirm their clear demands:

An immediate investigation into the statements made by journalist Mohamed el-Baz.
Official summons and questioning of el-Baz about the information he claims to possess.
Determining whether this case constitutes an extrajudicial killing or an unsubstantiated claim.
To put an end to the prolonged ambiguity surrounding the fate of Dr. Mostafa al-Naggar, guaranteeing his family’s right to truth and justice.

Signatories: