The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) strongly condemns the renewal of human rights lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer's designation on the “terrorists’ list” for a second period of five years. The decision was issued on 18 November by the First Circuit of the Cairo Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Mohamed al-Sherbini, at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

EIPR reiterates that this decision, which is not based on any evidence, demonstrates the authorities' continued retaliation against human rights defenders solely for their peaceful and legal rights activism. Such retaliatory measures rely on flawed Law No. 8/2015 (Regulating Lists of Terrorist Entities and Terrorists), among a host of other infamous laws adopted over the past decade with the sole aim of undermining constitutional protections for the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly.

El-Baqer was first added to the Terrorist’s List for a period of five years–along with 28 other human rights and political activists– on 19 November, 2020, following a decision by the 28th Circuit of the Cairo Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Hassan Farid. That decision granted Public Prosecution’s requests No. 1 and 2 for 2020, in connection with case No. 1781/2019 (Supreme State Security). After the expiration of the five year term this month, El-Baqer submitted a request to the Public Prosecutor on 23 November to end the effects of the listing. 

Listing on terrorist lists—which is decided by the court without granting the person in question the right to appear before the court to present their defense or respond to the Public Prosecutor’s, and without being informed of the request—produce a number of legal consequences that restrict a range of constitutional rights. Inclusion on the list results in a travel ban, withdrawal or cancellation of the passport and the refusal to issue a new one, suspension of the right to hold public or electoral office, freezing of the person's funds and assets, a ban on engaging in civil society activism, and even suspension of membership in professional unions, which means that El-Baqer is prohibited from practicing law for the duration of his inclusion on the list.

Although El-Baqer received a presidential pardon in July 2023 –after being convicted and sentenced to four years in prison by an Emergency State Security Court in December 2021 on charges of “spreading false news” in case No. 1228/2021– the pardon did not include the case under which he was originally arrested in 2019 (No. 1356/2019 - Supreme State Security), nor did it close a third case (No. 1781/2019), on the basis of which he was designated on the terrorism lists. The relentless persecution in August 2020—while he was in prison—in a fourth case, No. 855 of 2020. In all four cases his only alleged “crime” was engaging in human rights work. 

In his 2024 annual report on reprisals against human rights defenders, which he presented to the UN General Assembly, UN Secretary-General included the case of “Mohamed el-Baqer, a human rights lawyer from the Adalah Center for Rights and Freedoms”, noting that despite his release by presidential pardon, “Mr. el-Baquer’s name is still included on a terrorism list (Case No. 1781/ 2019) exposing him to a possible travel ban and arrival waiting lists, the potential withdrawal or cancellation of his passport without possibility to receive a new passport, and the freezing of funds.”

EIPR reiterates its demand to end the persecution of Mohamed al-Baqer for his peaceful and legal human rights activism, remove his name from terrorist lists, and stop the practice of “recycling” defendants in multiple similar cases. EIPR also demands an end to the abuse of the terrorist entities law, and the host of other infamous laws used  to prosecute and punish human rights defenders and peaceful activists.