“Alaa Abdel Fattah’s torture in custody illustrates the Egyptian authorities’ use of extreme brutality to crush dissent and shows the extreme lengths that they are prepared to go to in order to intimidate perceived government critics,” said Najia Bounaim, North Africa Campaigns Director at Amnesty International. “The Egyptian authorities must immediately open an independent and impartial investigation into these shocking torture allegations and urgently ensure Alaa Abdel Fattah’s and Mohamed el-Baqer’s protection. Background:The Egyptian authorities have launched the biggest crackdown under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s rule rounding up more than 2,800 people, including protestors, politicians, journalists and human rights lawyers. On 9 October, Alaa Abdel Fattah and Mohamed el-Baqer reported their torture and other ill-treatment when they appeared before prosecutors for questioning. Alaa Abdel Fattah has been repeatedly arrested in recent years including for his role in demonstrations during 2011 uprising.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 10, 2019 16:07 UTC