Hossam Bahgat
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2025-042-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2025
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 26.820553
Longitude: 30.802498
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Egypt
- From Region
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Male
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), a human rights organization
- Reported trigger of reprisal
met with OHCHR and representatives of Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva, as well as diplomatic missions in Cairo and Brussels in connection to the UPR process. 44. On 20 November 2024, Mr. Bahgat was a panellist in the NGO-organized pre-session of the Universal Periodic Revie ere he presented an EIPR report. During the reporting period, EIPR submitted information to special procedure mandate holders as well as five reports to the UPR Summary of Stakeholders’ information. This included one individual report published on 10 December 2024 on EIPR’s website and four additional joint ones. All five were subsequently posted on the UPR website on 19 December 2024.w of Egypt, wh
- Dates of engagement
- 20 November 2024; months and weeks leading up to 28 January 2025
- Type of attempted engagement
- Participation in meeting on UN premises
- Submission of information to UN
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 19 January 2025
- Location of mentioned reprisals
- Egypt
- Reprisal information
on 19 January 2025, he was reportedly summoned by the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP), arrested, and formally charged in case No. 6 of 2025 with “aiding a terrorist organization”, “financing a terrorist organization” (a charge punishable with the death penalty subject to commutation to life in prison), and “disseminating false information to undermine national security and spread terror among citizens”. While under arrest, the SSSP prosecutor reportedly informed him that the investigation and charges were based on a report by the National Security Agency that allegedly “proved he had received instructions from elements abroad and foreign organizations to broadcast false reports, news and statements, for the purpose of weakening state institutions, undermining public peace, and sowing terror in the hearts of citizens,” reportedly in connection with EIPR human rights publications and activities.
46. Reportedly, Mr. Bahgat was released on bail of 20,000 EGP, after which he travelled to Geneva to attend the UPR session of Egypt. The investigation remains open at the time of writing.
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Charge/Investigation/Prosecution - General
- Detention/Imprisonment: Detention/Imprisonment - General
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Further case development
- According to information received by OHCHR, the aforementioned case against Mr. Bahgat is the fourth over the past four years, and the fifth against EIPR based solely on its human rights activism, including engagement with the United Nations. Since 2015, mandate holders have raised concerns, including publicly, over the arrest, filing of criminal charges for terrorism and national security related crimes, travel bans and assets freeze of EIPR staff in connection to their human rights work. Those targeted have included Mr. Hossam Bahgat , three former directors of EIPR, Mr. Gasser Abdel Rakez, Mr. Karim Ennarah and Mr. Mohamed Basheer, and another EIPR staff, Mr. Patrick Zaki, who was sentenced to three years in prison for an article he wrote on religious discrimination in Egypt. Mr Zaki was pardoned after spending nearly two years in prison .
- Government response dates
- 14 July 2025
- Government response content
On 14 July 2025, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report noting that it respects the rule of law and the separation of powers and ensures compatibility of national legislation with its obligations under international law. It further stated that the Egyptian Public Prosecution is an independent judicial authority and that charges are made and law enforcement and judicial measures are undertaken based only on incontrovertible evidence. It also noted that it does not exercise its law enforcement jurisdiction except through the established legal channels either through Interpol or the execution of agreements on criminal or judicial cooperation, depending on each specific case.
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No