As opposition politician Ahmed al-Tantawi’s detention is set to expire on 27 May, the undersigned human rights organizations are gravely concerned that the authorities would extend the former presidential candidate’s arbitrary imprisonment, especially following Tantawi’s recent summoning for interrogation in connection with two new cases. The organizations demand an end to the security persecution of politicians, dissidents, and human rights activists, which deliberately entangles them in malicious, retaliatory cases that often result in their imprisonment.

On 26 April, Tantawi was summoned from the 10th of Ramadan Prison for investigation in cases: no. 2468 of 2023 and no. 2635 of 2023, Supreme State Security. Tantawi is accused of inciting the commission of a terrorist act using force and violence and inciting an assembly. This was for allegedly calling for demonstrations in October 2023 in support of Gaza. During the investigation, Tantawi denied these accusations, asserting that they were based on fabricated security investigations. The prosecution decided to release him pending trial in both cases before returning him to prison to serve the remainder of his previous sentence

Human rights organizations have previously warned of the Egyptian authorities’ illegitimate policy of ‘recycling’, which ensures that political dissidents remain in prolonged detention despite the expiry of their legally mandated detention periods or their completion of the maximum two-year period allowed by law for pretrial detention. Human rights lawyer Hoda Abdel Moneim was recycled into two new cases before her prison term ended. Similarly, opposition politician Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, head of the Strong Egypt Party, his deputy Mohamed al-Qassas, and political activist Mohamed Adel also had their detentions arbitrarily prolonged through recycling. Many others, upon their release, found themselves facing new spurious charges that ensured their return to prison. Among many cases are those of publisher and writer Hesham Kassem, who was issued a new six-month prison sentence in absentia on May 14, and politician Yehia Hussein Abdel Hady, the former spokesman for the Civil Democratic Movement, who was re-arrested upon his release due to his criticism of government policies. Recently, political activist Ahmed Douma was summoned again for interrogation after his release, in apparent retaliation for his posts about the conditions of prisoners.

In February 2024, the Matariya Misdemeanor Court sentenced Tantawi and 22 of his supporters to one year in prison. The sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeal in May 2024, making it enforceable. The trial lacked the minimum fair trial guarantees, and the defense was unable to obtain official copies of the case documents. Supporters of Tantawi were arrested on terrorism charges as endorsements were collected for his presidential candidacy, and members of his family were arrested after he announced his intent, in May 2023, to run in presidential elections. The relentless persecution of Tantawi is indicative of the government’s continued deliberate targeting of political opponents, activists, and other political dissidents through an intensifying campaign of harassment, rights violations, and arbitrary prosecution. 

The Egyptian authorities exploit repressive laws as a false legal justification to retaliate against political opponents signals that political will towards human rights reform is nonexistent. Most notorious among these draconian legislation are the anti-terrorism law and the colonial era  assembly law, which continue to be enforced to this day despite its repeal by the post-independence Egyptian parliament in 1928. Moreover, the new criminal procedure law, recently passed by the parliament, legitimizes the arbitrary practices utilized by the government over the past decade. 

The undersigned human rights organizations demand dropping all charges against Ahmed al-Tantawi and dismissing the two new cases against him, as well as ending his and his family’s persecution. We further demand the immediate release of all political detainees and prisoners of conscience and reiterate our categorical rejection of the expanding institutionalization of political retaliation against peaceful individuals, particularly through the use of baseless charges and the illegitimate policy of recycling.  

Signatories: 

• Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

• Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms

• El Nadeem Center

• Egyptian Front for Human Rights

• Egyptian Human Rights Forum

• Sinai Foundation for Human Rights

• EgyptWide for Human Rights

• Committee for Justice

• Foundation for Law and Democracy Support

• Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights

• Middle East Democracy Center