EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Egyptian Coordination of Rights and Freedoms has found that the violations of human rights in Egypt and the phenomenon of forced disappearances in particular had expanded in range and exacerbated in a way that may alert the Egyptian society to a real catastrophe, while monitoring the human rights in Egypt, starting from mid-2014 until now.
We made sure that the phenomenon of forced disappearance is not just a blip but a systematic strategy followed by security agencies in order to exert stress over political opposition in some cases, or to conceal the torture which has been spreading like wildfire that amounted in some cases to a murder.
We have spotted 1023 Egyptian citizens being subjected to gradual forced disappearance during the first half of 2015. Whereas the number In January, 2015 was only 44 citizens then it amounted to 91 citizens in February, 160 in March, 228 in April, and we were shocked by the rise of the number of citizens subjected to forced disappearance in May which reached 393 cases and in June it reached 278 cases. These numbers are the overall we could monitor from January 1st, 2015 to June 30th, 2015 and not the total number of cases; Amid extremely difficult circumstances of monitoring and documentation and for those running the process, from security threats and prosecutions to all the workers in the field of human rights in Egypt, either individuals or civil society organizations.
The governorates of north and central Egypt have the largest share of forced disappearance cases in which Gharbiya Governorate has 293 followed by Beheira Governorate with 152, then Cairo with 108, Kafr El Shiekh 75, Giza 71, Alexandria 54, Sharquia 50, Portsaid 45, Dakahlya 41, Qaliubiya 32, Beni Suef 29, Damietta 26, Monofia 21, Fayoum 14, Suez 10, Sohag 10, Qena5, Minya and Assiut Governorates 8 cases each, Aswan and Ismailia 4 cases each, Luxor with 2 cases and Finally what we could count in North Sinai was 5 cases.
1. Egyptian Coordination of Rights and
Freedoms, was founded in early August
2014.It's an independent non profitable
Egyptian NGO which operates neutrally,
and which has no political, ideological or
social polarization.
Behind the Sun
A report monitors the phenomenon of forced
disappearances of citizens during the first half
of 2015.
E g y p t . e c r f @ g m a i l . c o m Page 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Egyptian Coordination of Rights and Freedoms has found that
the violations of human rights in Egypt and the phenomenon of
forced disappearances in particular had expanded in range and
exacerbated in a way that may alert the Egyptian society to a real
catastrophe, while monitoring the human rights in Egypt, starting
from mid-2014 until now.
We made sure that the phenomenon of forced disappearance is
not just a blip but a systematic strategy followed by security
agencies in order to exert stress over political opposition in some
cases, or to conceal the torture which has been spreading like
wildfire that amounted in some cases to a murder.
We have spotted 1023 Egyptian citizens being subjected to
gradual forced disappearance during the first half of 2015.
Whereas the number In January, 2015 was only 44 citizens then it
amounted to 91 citizens in February, 160 in March, 228 in April,
and we were shocked by the rise of the number of citizens
subjected to forced disappearance in May which reached 393
cases and in June it reached 278 cases. These numbers are the
overall we could monitor from January 1st, 2015 to June 30th, 2015
and not the total number of cases; Amid extremely difficult circumstances of monitoring and
documentation and for those running the process, from security threats and prosecutions to all the
workers in the field of human rights in Egypt, either individuals or civil society organizations.
The governorates of north and central Egypt have the largest share of forced disappearance cases in
which Gharbiya Governorate has 293 followed by Beheira Governorate with 152, then Cairo with 108,
Kafr El Shiekh 75, Giza 71, Alexandria 54, Sharquia 50, Portsaid 45, Dakahlya 41, Qaliubiya 32, Beni Suef
29, Damietta 26, Monofia 21, Fayoum 14, Suez 10, Sohag 10, Qena5, Minya and Assiut Governorates 8
cases each, Aswan and Ismailia 4 cases each, Luxor with 2 cases and Finally what we could count in
North Sinai was 5 cases.
CONTENTS OF THE REPORT
FIRST: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
SECOND: INTRODUCTION.
THIRD: METHODOLOGY
FORTH: RELATED LEGAL TEXTS.
FIFTH: FORCED DISAPPEARANCE
IN NUMBERS.
SIXTH: RECOMMENDATIONS.
2. Egyptian Coordination of Rights and
Freedoms, was founded in early August
2014.It's an independent non profitable
Egyptian NGO which operates neutrally,
and which has no political, ideological or
social polarization.
Behind the Sun
A report monitors the phenomenon of forced
disappearances of citizens during the first half
of 2015.
E g y p t . e c r f @ g m a i l . c o m Page 2
INTRODUCTION
The ECRF expresses deep concern regarding this tragic deterioration of the current human rights in
Egypt and the unreasonable exacerbation of the forced disappearance, which reached the
disappearance of hundreds of citizens each month all over the republic, which is classified in the
international law as a crime against humanity.
The phenomenon of the forced disappearance is of a grave danger and we need to shed light on it and
call uponall concernedpartiesto defendhumandignity andrights. Weneedto standtogether to address
this problem effectively and work to remove it from the shadows to the limelight because the biggest
dangers facing the problem of forced disappearance is oblivion and opacity.
The international community has said that each country is responsible - an international responsibility
- for any cases of enforced disappearance committed against any person or persons residing in its
territory, or subject to its jurisdiction.
Although we reject all forms of violence no matter how justified they are, we are working to address
this phenomenon with all legal and humanitarian ways through our vision that the all citizens rights are
integral. It should not be deprived of them, whatever the justifications and reasons are. Most notably
the right of all humans to live, to be free, and the right of physical integrity and fair trial. And in case of
detention, arrest or even conviction of crime, to be treated in a human way that is proper to human
dignity. There is also the right of his family to know his fate of respect of social and family background.
It is not acceptable- socially or humanitarian- that the family doesn’t know the fate of its member and
whether he is alive or not. Those families live a life full of agony, confusion and anxiety. It is known that
this phenomenon affects the rest of the citizens and causes them to lose the sense of security and
tranquility and other humanitarian and community values associated with it.
3. Egyptian Coordination of Rights and
Freedoms, was founded in early August
2014.It's an independent non profitable
Egyptian NGO which operates neutrally,
and which has no political, ideological or
social polarization.
Behind the Sun
A report monitors the phenomenon of forced
disappearances of citizens during the first half
of 2015.
E g y p t . e c r f @ g m a i l . c o m Page 3
METHODOLOGY OF THE REPORT
The report was adopted as follows:
- The collection of daily information within the ECRF unit of monitoring which is a unit connected
to ateam ofactivists andlawyers acrossthecountryto monitor all new forceddisappearance cases
in particular with all the other violations on the human rights.
- As part of our quest to document cases of forced disappearances we faced multiple difficulties,
including a dramatic increase in the number of forcibly disappeared. There is no day goes by
without dozens of cases of enforced disappearance.
- And It should be noted that one of the most important of these difficulties that hinder the
monitoring and documentation is the fear of a large proportion of the families of the victims of the
consequences of cooperation with human rights bodies directly to them or their relatives who
consider them in the grip of the security authorities.
RELATED LEGAL TEXTS
1. Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances issued by the United
Nations General Assembly No. 47/133 adopted on December 18, 1992
Article One: Each act of enforced disappearance is a crime against human dignity and condemned as a
denial ofthe purposesoftheCharter ofthe United Nationsand the graveandflagrant violation ofhuman
rights and fundamental freedoms contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reaffirmed,
and developed by the international instruments issued in this regard.
Any act of enforced disappearance places the person subjected thereto outside the protection of the law
and inflicts severe suffering on them and their families. It violates the rules of international law
guaranteeing, inter alia, the right to recognition as a person in the eyes of the law, the right to liberty
and security, and the right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or cruel, inhuman or
degrading punishment. It also violates the right to life or constitutes a serious threat.
Article VI: No order or instruction from any public authority, civilian, military or other, may be invoked
to justify an offence of enforced disappearance. It would be the right of every person receiving such an
order or instruction and duty not to obey it.
2. Each State shall prohibit orders or instructions directing any act of enforced disappearance is causing
or authorizing or encouraging it.
3. You must focus on the provisions contained in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article in the training of law
enforcement officials.
4. Egyptian Coordination of Rights and
Freedoms, was founded in early August
2014.It's an independent non profitable
Egyptian NGO which operates neutrally,
and which has no political, ideological or
social polarization.
Behind the Sun
A report monitors the phenomenon of forced
disappearances of citizens during the first half
of 2015.
E g y p t . e c r f @ g m a i l . c o m Page 4
Article VII: No circumstances whatsoever, whether a threat of war, a state of war, internal political
instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked to justify enforced disappearances.
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
Article 1: No one shall be subjected to enforced disappearance _ No circumstances whatsoever, whether
a threat of war, a state of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be
invoked to justify enforced disappearances.
Article 2: For the purposes of this Convention, "enforced disappearances" arrest, detention, abduction
or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons
acting with the authorization or support from the state or with their consent, followed by a refusal to
acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate of the disappeared person or his
whereabouts, thus depriving them of the protection of the law.
Article 5: The practice of systematic enforced disappearance is a crime against humanity as defined in
applicable international law and shall attract the consequences provided for under the law.
Article 6: Each State Party shall take the necessary measures to hold criminally responsible at least.
Any person, who commits the crime of enforced disappearance, or orders, solicits or attempts to
commit, is an accomplice to or participates in the commission.
The president who:
Was aware that one of his subordinates who work under his or her effective control was committing or
about to commit a crime of enforced disappearance, or consciously disregarded information which
clearly indicated it.
Was exercising responsibility for and control over activities which were concerned with the crime of
enforced disappearance.
Has not taken all necessary and reasonable measures that he could have taken to prevent the
commission of a crime of enforced disappearance or repress their commission or to submit the matter
to the competent authorities for investigation and prosecution.
5. Egyptian Coordination of Rights and
Freedoms, was founded in early August
2014.It's an independent non profitable
Egyptian NGO which operates neutrally,
and which has no political, ideological or
social polarization.
Behind the Sun
A report monitors the phenomenon of forced
disappearances of citizens during the first half
of 2015.
E g y p t . e c r f @ g m a i l . c o m Page 5
FORCED DISAPPEARANCE IN NUMBERS
While monitoring the violations of human rights in Egypt we made sure that the phenomenon of forced
disappearance is not just a blip but a systematic strategy followed by security agencies in order to exert
stress over political opposition in some cases, or to conceal the torture which has been spreading like
wildfire that amounted in some cases to a murder.
We have spotted 1023 Egyptian citizens being subjected to gradual forced disappearance during the
first half of 2015. In January, 2015 the number was only 44 citizens then it amounted to 91 citizens in
February, 160 in March, 228 in April and we were shocked by the rise of the number of citizens
subjected to forced disappearance in May which reached 393 cases and in June it reached 278 cases.
These numbers are the overall we could monitor from January 1st, 2015 to June 30th, 2015 and not the
total number ofcases;Amid extremely difficult circumstances ofmonitoring anddocumentation and for
those running the process, from security threats and prosecutions to all the workers in the field of
human rights in Egypt, either individuals or civil society organizations.
The governorates of north and central Egypt have the largest share of forced disappearance cases in
which Gharbiya Governorate has 293 followed by Beheira Governorate with 152, then Cairo with 108,
Kafr El Shiekh 75, Giza 71, Alexandria 54, Sharquia 50, Portsaid 45, Dakahlya 41, Qaliubiya 32, Beni Suef
29, Damietta 26, Monofia 21, Fayoum 14, Suez 10, Sohag 10, Qena5, Minya and Assiut Governorates 8
cases each, Aswan and Ismailia 4 cases each, Luxor with 2 cases and Finally what we could count in
North Sinai was 5 cases.
We find that the number of cases that were forcibly disappeared during the first half of 2015 reached
616 cases of forced disappearance for periods range from 48 hours to 70 days, whilst there are 207
cases didn't appear so far and did not get displayed on any prosecutors at all and there are 200 cases
We did not know if they got displayed on the prosecutors or if they still subjected to forced
disappearances so far.
In our previous reports we had spotted certain places which is used as a hide for enforced
disappearance andto torturepeople to cast outinformation or recognition onothers,and we foundthat
there is an eerily expansion in the scope of places of concealment and torture. We can assure that 90%
of police stations and security directorates have become possible sites of forced disappearance hides.
And it is likely that all the casesmentioned in the reportwerekidnapped by Egyptian police and security
forces who are supposed to be responsible for the security and safety of citizens and whose work is to
confirm their safety, security and freedom.
By analyzing data of cases subjected to forced disappearance we found that some cases got killed by
severe torture and the body either gets hidden or shown up as a suicide, explosion, or confrontation
against police, which happened in the case of (Islam Atiaa) or other appear on public prosecutors with
6. Egyptian Coordination of Rights and
Freedoms, was founded in early August
2014.It's an independent non profitable
Egyptian NGO which operates neutrally,
and which has no political, ideological or
social polarization.
Behind the Sun
A report monitors the phenomenon of forced
disappearances of citizens during the first half
of 2015.
E g y p t . e c r f @ g m a i l . c o m Page 6
severe injuries due to torture, the public prosecution refuses to investigate any of the cases of torture
or forced disappearance.
As the ECRF sensesthis grave danger and its impact on victims andtheir families and society as a whole,
they issued this report, asit representsthe forceddisappearances ofbeing anongoingflagrant violation
of the human rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the successive Egyptian constitutions
and national legislations as well as the charters and covenants of the relevant international human
rights.
The following report includes inventory cases of forced disappearance for the first half of 2015:
First: Classification of mentioned cases:
1. There are 5 victims mentioned in the report were forcibly disappeared date back to 2014 and did
not appear so far, but we could monitor and document them only during 2015.
2. There are 128 documented cases among university students.
3. There are 35 monitored documented cases of minor children during that period.
4. We have monitored 5 cases of hostage taking 5 in order to push a victim to deliver himself in.
5. There are 10 cases of forced disappearance of girls and women.
6. There are 2 cases of forced disappearance of disabled (Polio).
7. There are 3 cases of arrest and forced disappearance of students from inside their test rooms.
8. One case of murder after being arrested and forcibly disappeared.
Second: Classification of monitored and documented cases according to their professions:
1. 102 University professors
2. 6 doctors
3. 2 Veterinarians
4. 11 Pharmacists
5. 6 lawyers
6. 15 engineers
7. 22 teachers
8. 8 lawyers
9. 21 Clerks
10. 9 Imams and preachers
11. 16 Journalists, press and others.
7. Egyptian Coordination of Rights and
Freedoms, was founded in early August
2014.It's an independent non profitable
Egyptian NGO which operates neutrally,
and which has no political, ideological or
social polarization.
Behind the Sun
A report monitors the phenomenon of forced
disappearances of citizens during the first half
of 2015.
E g y p t . e c r f @ g m a i l . c o m Page 7
Third: Examples of documented cases:
1. The case of the Victim “Wael Ibrahim El Hodieny”
Was arrested on 11.12.2014 and has been renewing his detention until a court hearing was
scheduled in May 2015, he received a not-guilty charge and the public prosecutor finalized his
release procedures and after arriving at the police station he was forcibly disappeared for 30
days until a new charge was fabricated while in the possession of the police, and presented to
prosecutors on 05/07/2015 which issued its decision of renewal for four days, and to be
renewed on the scheduled date.
2. The case of the Victim “Mohamed Abdul Rahim Metwally”
English teacher from the village of Frezes, western Zefta Center. Suffering from polio. On
23/04/2 015 while returning with his wife to their home, their car was intercepted in front of
the Public Hospital of Zefta. The police in civilian clothes and a police car beat him and injured
his head by the stock of the gun. His wife made more than telegraph to the General prosecutor
and to the Minister of Interior, but without a response from any party about his fate or place.
3. The case of the Victim “Ahmed Mohamed ElSoghaier”
works as a teacher at Al Azhar, was arrested with his wife and two young daughters, Jana and
Wogood, on May 9, 2015 from their home at the 10th neighborhood, Nasr City in Cairo. His wife
wasn’t released but on May 14, 2015 the husband remained in forced disappearances until he
appeared at the Supreme State Security Prosecution office on June 9, 2015. After 30 days of
forced disappearance and the detention of his wife and children to force him to confess to some
charges.
4. The slaughterhouse of the fourth floor of Alexandria Security Directorate
Spreading news about Mahmoud Mustafa Abdul Monem, secondary school student from
Alexandria, arrested by police in front of his school on May 13, 2015. His family went to all state
bodies to reveal his detention place; He was reported to be held in the fourth floor of Alexandria
Security Directorate.
5. The case of the Victim “Mahmoud Abdul Rahim Mohamed Abdul Aziz ElMorshidy”
A young entrepreneur, he was arrested from the headquarters of his company at Mohandsen by
security forces on May 3, 2015, he remained in forcibly disappeared until he was presented to
the military prosecutor without the presence of his lawyer on June 3, 2015; A full 30 days of
forced disappearance and the Ministry of Interior refused to disclose his place.
8. Egyptian Coordination of Rights and
Freedoms, was founded in early August
2014.It's an independent non profitable
Egyptian NGO which operates neutrally,
and which has no political, ideological or
social polarization.
Behind the Sun
A report monitors the phenomenon of forced
disappearances of citizens during the first half
of 2015.
E g y p t . e c r f @ g m a i l . c o m Page 8
RECOMMENDATIONS
The ECRF demands:
First:
The judiciary and public prosecutorsto play their rolein the inspection ofplaces ofdetention in prisons,
police stations and security directorates to ensure the absence of any prisoner without legal support.
Second:
We demand the public prosecutor to open serious investigations into the hundreds of complaints
submitted to the Office of the Public Prosecutor from families of the forcibly disappeared, and to bring
those responsible for a fair trial
Third:
We also demand the concerned authorities to observe the state of human rights and especially the
category such as women and children, and do not violate it; The steady increase in the numbers of
women and children of forced disappeared represents abnormal phenomenon which needs to be
stopped.
Forth:
We also demand the relevant authorities of the State, namely the Ministry of Interior, to end the
phenomenon of kidnapping and enforced disappearance of citizens.