Amnesty International published a statement on Tuesday calling for Egypt to release those who were detained by the country on the sole basis of expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people amidst the war with Israel.
Amnesty International calls for the “unconditional and immediate release” of these activists. In addition to their call for the release of those imprisoned for supporting Palestine, the rights organization called for an investigation into the detention procedures these supporters have experienced while being detained and in custody. The organization states that they have testimony from detainees of torture procedures being used, as well as incommunicado detention.
Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt and Libya researcher at Amnesty International, said, “It is unthinkable that Egyptian authorities are arresting and punishing activists for showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza while Israel is committing genocide against them.”
The rights organization notes that they have documented arrests of 123 people who had expressed support for the Palestinian people in Gaza since 2023. The detained nationals have been accused of engaging in behavior such as “funding a terrorist group” and “publishing fake news”. Many of those detained were arrested because of their attendance at the Gaza March in June. Arbitrary detentions are prohibited under international law under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The Global March to Gaza was intended to take place from June 15 to 19. The march was planned to start in Arish, Egypt, and conclude in Rafah, Palestine. The international civilian-led march only made it to June 16, as it was cancelled after dozens of foreign and domestic nationals were detained or deported on their arrival in Egypt, and clashes broke out between activists and Egyptian authorities in Cairo and Ismailia.
This arbitrary detention and deportation has led the organizers of the march to speak out and demand the release of their fellow activists. The activists came to Egypt for the march from countries like Norway, Algeria, Tunisia, and many others. In response, the Egyptian authorities stated that a special approval was needed to cross over the Rafah border, which the organizers did not receive. The organizers say they sought to coordinate with Egypt to use the appropriate channels to make their journey.
