Femena welcomes news of the release of all the human rights defenders (14 women and 2 men*) who were arrested following a peaceful gathering in front of the UN Women Office in Cairo on April 23, 2024. These rights defenders were released on bail amounts ranging between EGP10,000, EGP5,000 and none. They faced charges of unlawful assembly and joining a group formed in violation of the law, in the case no. 1567 for the year 2024 affiliated to the prosecution of high-level national security.
We remind the Egyptian government and UN Women that they are obliged to facilitate and support the work of women human rights defenders, rather than criminalize or repress it.
Defense of human rights, especially the rights of those most marginalized, including Palestinians and Sudanese women, who continue to suffer from the worst forms of atrocities in the midst of deadly conflict, is not illegal and should not be treated with violence by police or UN security forces.
Femena urgently calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally dismiss all charges against the rights defenders. We further call on UN Women to launch a comprehensive, independent and transparent investigation into the use of violence against these peaceful rights defenders by UN security forces.
Background
16 Egyptian human rights defenders were arrested in Cairo on Tuesday April 23, 2024 during a peaceful protest in front of the UN Women office in support of women in Sudan and Gaza. According to reports, those detained were being processed at the High-Level National Security Prosecution. Reports of UN security forces violently disbursing the peaceful protesters prior to their detention, raised alarm among Egyptian human rights community as well as international observers, who have demanded UN accountability on the issue.
Initially it was reported that 18 persons had been detained, but later it was determined that 16 persons were detained.