A/HRC/45/36 for engagement with the UPR.26 The Spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights highlighted the same case, while noting that it was not isolated, but simply one “of the most prominent ones.”27 46. The Adalah Center for Rights and Freedoms, with which Mr. El-Baqer is affiliated, had submitted a number of joint reports to the UPR on Egypt that were publicly available. 28 On 23 October 2019, mandate holders had raised concern about Mr. El-Baqer’s arrest, illtreatment and the criminal charges against him, indicating that he “may have been targeted specifically in reprisal for the NGO’s submissions to Egypt’s forthcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR)” (EGY 11/2019). 29 On 29 September 2019, Mr. El-Baqer was arrested while attending an interrogation of a client for whom he was the human rights lawyer, and both were accused on terrorism and national security charges (Case 1356 of 2019). The Prosecutor reportedly questioned Mr. El-Baqer about his engagement with the UN in the context of the November 2019 UPR of Egypt, in particular about the alleged violations against the Nubians.30 Mr. El-Baqer reportedly remains in pre-trial detention with his detention periodically renewed since his arrest. 47. On 6 December 2019, special procedures mandate holders expressed concern about the arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of human rights defender Mr. Ramy Kamel Saied Salib of the Maspero Youth Foundation in Cairo, reportedly in connection to his human rights work, and to prevent his participation at the November 2019 Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva (EGY 13/2019). 31 Mr. Kamel had interacted with special procedures, including by supporting the visit of the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing to Egypt in 2018 in relation to forced displacement of members of the Coptic Christian minority (A/HRC/42/30, para. 51 and Annex I, paras. 35–37). The Special Rapporteur addressed allegations of reprisals in this context to the Government. 32 48. On 4 November 2019, the day that Mr. Kamel reportedly submitted a visa application to travel to Geneva for the Forum, he was summoned to the National Security Office in Cairo, and was allegedly arrested without charges, beaten and tortured. On 23 November 2019, he was reportedly taken without a warrant from his home by plain-clothes officers and members of the Special Forces, and his belongings were confiscated. He was placed in pre-trial detention on terrorism and spreading false news charges (State Security Case No.1475/2019) (EGY 13/2019). On 6 March 2020, the Government stated that the conclusions are based on unsubstantiated links between the charges under investigation and Mr. Kamel’s cooperation with the UN, denying the allegations that Mr. Kamel was arbitrarily detained and tortured and subject to arrest without warrant by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Government noted that during the search of his home and belongings the police found postal money orders with funds from abroad. 33 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 28 OHCHR, “UN experts urge Egypt to end crackdown on protesters and human rights defenders,” (28 October 2019), https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25217. OHCHR, Press Briefing Note, Spokesperson of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (Egypt), 18 October 2019, https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25164. See also OHCHR, “Egyptian protests: Concerned by widespread arrests, Bachelet urges restraint,” (27 September 2019), https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25073. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPREGStakeholdersInfoS34.aspx (see Joint Submission 1). OHCHR, “UN experts urge Egypt to end crackdown on protesters and human rights defenders,” (28 October 2019), https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25217&LangID=E. https://uprdoc.ohchr.org/uprweb/downloadfile.aspx?filename=6909&file=EnglishTranslation. OHCHR, “Egypt must free Coptic Christian rights defender reportedly held on terror charges, say UN experts” (11 December 2019), https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25419&LangID=E. End of mission statement, Leilani Farha, Visit of the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing to Egypt (3 October 2018); OHCHR, “Egypt: UN experts alarmed by treatment of human rights defenders after visit,” (4 December 2018); OHCHR, Statement by Leilani Farha at the 40th session of the Human Rights Council (4 March 2019). https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=35195.