Egypt summons prominent human rights activist for interrogation

Hossam Bahgat, a leading Egyptian human rights activist and founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), has been summoned to appear before Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution on Sunday for questioning regarding unspecified charges in a new case against him. 

In a statement released on Wednesday, EIPR reported that the summons, delivered to Bahgat at his workplace, failed to disclose the nature of the accusations or the subject of the investigation.  

“The EIPR lawyers were unable to obtain any additional details when they went to the State Security Prosecution [on Wednesday],” the group added. 

Bahgat later highlighted on social media platform X that this marks the fourth time in four years that EIPR staff members have been summoned for criminal investigations. 

Amnesty International’s Egypt researcher, Mahmoud Shalaby, condemned the move, describing it as a “a sinister attempt to silence criticism and reporting on their dismal human rights record.” 

“The Egyptian authorities have a long track record of repressing and intimidating NGOs and their staff using a wide range of tactics from arbitrary arrests and detention to unjust prosecutions, travel bans, asset freezes, surveillance, excessive monitoring and probation measures, and summons for coercive interrogations,” Shalaby added. 

The Amnesty researcher also said the latest summons comes just days after the Interior Ministry threatened legal action against EIPR over a statement criticising prolonged pretrial detention and dire conditions in Egypt’s 10th of Ramadan prison, where prisoners have launched hunger strikes.  

However, the ministry dismissed these allegations on Monday, accusing EIPR of “inciting confusion” and promising legal measures. 

Bahgat, who was subject to an eight-year travel ban lifted only recently, has long been targeted by Egyptian authorities. 

Amnesty International has accused the government of systematically harassing him and other EIPR staff, including Gasser Abdel Razek and Karim Ennarah, who have faced arrests and travel bans for their work exposing human rights violations. 

Egypt has frequently been criticised for its human rights record, with tens of thousands of political prisoners, including journalists, lawyers, and artists, reportedly detained.

The country also ranks poorly on the Academic Freedom Index, with researchers often facing harassment and detention for their work.