Official Statement
Justice for Human Rights Foundation
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Today, Tuesday, December 10, 2024, marks the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is celebrated globally on this day each year. It was on this day in 1948 that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted.
The Declaration consists of 30 articles that outline the fundamental rights and freedoms that must be universally protected. It is the most translated document in the world, with its provisions translated into over 500 languages.
On this significant occasion, the Justice for Human Rights Foundation (JHR) emphasizes the importance and necessity for nations and governments to respect these inherent, inalienable rights and freedoms, and to refrain from violating them.
Human Rights Situation in Egypt
Despite Egypt’s adherence to many core international human rights treaties and the fact that the Egyptian Constitution obliges the legislative, judicial, and executive authorities to comply with ratified international agreements, alongside adherence to domestic law, the reality of human rights in Egypt is far removed from the spirit of these international agreements, particularly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or the provisions of the Egyptian Constitution. The situation is marked by widespread violations of human rights across various dimensions.
This statement highlights some of the egregious violations of human rights, particularly those taking place in Egyptian prisons and detention facilities, which house over 60,000 detainees in politically motivated cases. These individuals are subjected to a range of extensive and systematic violations, including:
- Indefinite pretrial detention with arbitrary renewals, sometimes conducted remotely via video screens, and at other times, renewals are done solely on paper without the detainee being present.
- Recycling detainees in new cases after their original detention terms have expired or after serving sentences in previous cases.
- Placing detainees in isolated glass cages during trials, preventing them from hearing the proceedings or being heard by the court.
- Denial of access to their lawyers and the issuance of unjust verdicts in unfair trials based solely on intelligence reports from national security officers.
- Deliberate medical neglect and denial of medical care, leading to the deaths of hundreds of detainees.
- Denial of family visits, with some detainees barred from seeing their relatives for up to 10 years.
- Solitary confinement for extended periods, as well as confinement in overcrowded, poorly ventilated cells.
- Mass death sentences issued in violation of fair trial guarantees, with over 200 individuals facing execution in politically motivated cases.
- Arbitrary detention of women in political cases, alongside crimes against humanity such as torture and enforced disappearances.
In this regard, on this “Human Rights Day,” the Justice for Human Rights Foundation calls upon the Egyptian government to: - Stop the violations against detainees held in politically motivated cases, including torture, exile, recycling of cases, and medical neglect.
- Fully adhere to the principles and obligations related to the treatment of prisoners as outlined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture.
- End the use of pretrial detention as a punitive measure, subjecting political opponents to prolonged imprisonment.
- Commit to the standards, regulations, and procedures of fair trials.
Furthermore, Justice for Human Rights calls upon the international community and relevant UN institutions to play their role in confronting these systematic violations. They should exert pressure on the Egyptian government to end human rights abuses and ensure that Egyptian citizens enjoy the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, core international human rights treaties, and the provisions of the Egyptian Constitution related to human rights.