The UN’s January 2025 review urged Egypt to address its troubling human rights issues, indicating systematic torture and arbitrary detentions. Despite some officials claiming progress, Human Rights Watch highlights ongoing repression. The upcoming Human Rights Council session will be pivotal for Egypt’s response to these urgent recommendations.
Human Rights Watch has called upon the Egyptian government to implement urgent recommendations from the United Nations review of its human rights record conducted on January 28, 2025. In this review, 137 countries offered over 370 recommendations, emphasizing critical areas such as the systematic torture and arbitrary detention of human rights advocates, as well as access to essential education and health care amidst an ongoing climate of repression. Amr Magdi, Senior Middle East and North Africa Researcher at Human Rights Watch, emphasized that the government must prioritize substantial actions over mere public relations efforts.
The Universal Periodic Review, established in 2006, reviews the human rights conditions of UN member states every four and a half years, allowing local and international organizations to contribute insights. Human Rights Watch’s submission for Egypt highlighted the lack of progress since the last review in 2019, noting a continued pattern of detaining peaceful dissenters. Furthermore, Egypt remains among the leading nations for death sentences and executions, often amidst unjust trials, compounded by rising poverty and inadequate public services related to health and education.
In summary, the Egyptian authorities face mounting international pressure to acknowledge and address their substantial human rights violations positively. The forthcoming 59th session of the Human Rights Council offers a critical moment for the government to showcase its commitment to reform by accepting and acting upon the recommendations presented during the review. Such actions are vital for the restoration of basic rights and freedoms as well as for the enhancement of Egypt’s international standing.
Original Source: www.hrw.org
