On December 8th and 9th, security forces dispersed a number of spontaneous gatherings and randomly arrested at least 30 Syrians in the 6th of October City (Northern west of Cairo), after members of the Syrian community in Egypt went out to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime and the release of thousands of detainees and forcibly disappeared people from various prisons and security headquarters in Syria. EIPR learned that security forces released a number of the arrested today, but an unspecified number of them still remain in detention.

Shortly after the announcement of the seizure of the Syrian capital Damascus by opposition rebels and the escape of former president Bashar al-Assad at Dec 8th dawn, a number of Syrians living in the 6th of October City rallied spontaneously in the vicinity of the Al-Hosary Mosque to celebrate the news. Their gathering did not last more than 15 minutes, and they left as the police sirens were approaching. Meanwhile, 20 Syrians were randomly arrested in the second district neighbourhood, after the festive rally was dispersed. All the detainees were all transferred to the 6th of October police station.

EIPR learned that six of them, who were in possession of residency documents, were released the next day, while the rest of those arrested with temporary asylum application cards (yellow cards) still remain in detention.

EIPR also learned that holders of temporary asylum cards were transferred yesterday, Dec 11th, to the headquarters of the General Department of Passports, Immigration and Nationality in Abbasiya, and then returned to the 6th of October police station, amid growing fears that they will be deported.

On December 9th, a number of Syrians residing in the second district of the 6th of October City rallied to celebrate the fall of the Assad regime and the opening of prisons and security centers across Syria. Their celebration lasted for a short time and they left safely. However, the police randomly arrested ten passers-by Syrian nationals after checking their ID cards. EIPR weren’t able to independently verify whether they were officially charged. It also learned that a decision to release them has not been implemented until the time of publishing this report. They were transferred to the General Department of Passports, Immigration and Nationality in Abbasiya to have their ID and legal status documents examined.

EIPR denounces the security restrictions imposed on the Egyptian street in a way that prevents individuals from expressing their opinions, solidarity, or even joy in public. It calls on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release the detained Syrians, and not to deport any of them, as the security situation in Syria is still risky, which makes them vulnerable in the event of forced return. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called on its member states not to rush to consider Syria a safe country for the return of refugees. EIPR also calls on the Public Prosecution and the Interior Ministry to abide by the laws in force, as well as the refugee and asylum seeker rights agreements signed by Egypt, which prohibit endangering refugees and asylum seekers, forcibly returning them to the countries they fled, or deporting them to areas where their lives and safety would be endangered.