A/HRC/51/47 underwent forensic medical examination without a lawyer being present and never received the results. On 10 April 2022, his pre-trial detention was extended for another 45 days at the Institute of Police Secretaries in the Tora Prison in the presence of Mr. Amasha and his lawyer. Reportedly, the maximum period of pre-trial detention applicable to Mr. Amasha in accordance with Egyptian law will be reached in mid-July 2022. Mr. Amasha shares a cell of 3 by 1.5 meters with nine other inmates, and is denied access to medicines, books, pen and papers. 64. The case of Mr. Ebrahim Abdelmonem Metwally Hegazy, human rights lawyer and the co-founder of the Association of the Families of the Disappeared, was included in the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 reports of the Secretary-General82 on allegations of enforced disappearance and torture for his attempted cooperation in September 2017 with the WGEID. In 2019, the WGAD found Mr. Metwally’s detention arbitrary, noting that it amounted to an act of retaliation for cooperation with the UN, and urged his immediate release as well as compensation and other reparations. 83 At the March 2021 session of the Human Rights Council, a group of 26 Member States called for Mr. Metwally’s release.84 According to information received by OHCHR, on 26 August 2020, the Criminal Court of Cairo had ordered the release of Mr. Metwally under precautionary measures in Case No. 1470 of 2019. However, Mr. Metwally was reportedly kept in detention, and on 6 September 2020, he was brought to the Supreme State Security Prosecution, linked to a different case (no. 786/2020). He was accused of “leadership of a terrorist group formed while in detention,” “communicating with foreign agents to harm State security”, and “using the internet for terrorist purposes” (punishable under arts. 12, 14 and 29 of the Anti-Terrorism Law), as well as of establishing an illegal organization and publishing false news and rumours (arts. 86 bis and 188 of the Penal Code). 65. On 16 June 2021, special procedures mandate holders addressed the arbitrary detention of other human rights defenders including Mr. Metwally allegedly for his cooperation with the United Nations. (EGY 5/2021).85 According to information received by OHCHR, Mr. Metwally is currently detained at Tora Maximum Security Prison 2 in solitary confinement. Reportedly, he suffers from increasingly severe health problems due to the poor detention conditions and requires urgent surgery to avoid serious complications that could be life-threatening. On 15 February 2022, the Cairo Criminal Court renewed his detention under the aforementioned Case No. 786 of 2020. 66. The case of Mr. Mohamed El-Baqer, a human rights lawyer affiliated with the Adalah Center for Rights and Freedoms, was included in the 2020 and 2021 reports of the Secretary-General.86 The case related to his arrest, ill-treatment and terrorism and national security charges following the engagement of the Adalah Center, in Egypt’s 2019 Universal Periodic Review (UPR) concerning the human rights situation of the Nubians (EGY 11/2019). In July 2020, special procedures mandate holders addressed Mr. El-Baqer’s pretrial detention related to “publishing false news, belonging to a terrorist group and receiving funds to carry out the goals of this group” and his fair trial guarantees (EGY 10/2020). In February 2020, the Court ordered his release, but this decision was overturned. In August 2020, Mr. El Baqer was accused of “joining a terrorist organization” and “participating in a criminal agreement with the intention of committing a terrorist crime”. On 19 November 2020, Mr. El-Baqer was included in the terrorist list as published in the Egyptian Official Gazette. Multiple UN actors have addressed the situation of Mr. El-Baqer repeatedly with 82 83 84 85 86 A/HRC/39/41, para. 38, Annex I, para. 32–35; A/HRC/42/30, para. 52 and Annex II, paras. 42–44; A/HRC/45/36, para. 70 Annex II, paras. 44–46; A/HRC/48/28, para. 63, Annex II, paras. 40–41. A/HRC/WGAD/2019/41, paras. 34, 40, 46, 51, 56. See also (A/HRC/45/13, para. 63). Item 4, General Debate, 32nd Meeting, 46th Regular Session Human Rights Council, 12 March 2021, at https://media.un.org/en/asset/k14/k141uwvm66 (time stamp 00:42:30). See also, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/07/egypt-human-rights-defenders-heldincommunicado-face-spurious-charges-says. A/HRC/45/36, para. 67 and Annex I, paras. 45–46; A/HRC/48/28, para. 63, Annex II, paras. 46–47. 49

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