Anti-Terrorism Law

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2019-047-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2019
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 26.820553

Longitude: 30.802498

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Egypt
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • UN Special Procedures: Thematic
Dates of prior UN action
28 September 2018
Type of record
General situation addressed
Individual's/organization's activity
  1. On 28 September 2018, several special procedures mandate holders drew attention to the misuse of counter-terrorism legislation against individuals peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and association, which they said “should not be used as an excuse to suppress dissent or curtail human rights work.”133
Type of rights defended
  • Unclear in SG Report
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal
  1. On 28 September 2018, several special procedures mandate holders drew attention to the misuse of counter-terrorism legislation against individuals peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and association, which they said “should not be used as an excuse to suppress dissent or curtail human rights work.”133
Engagement with UN body
  • Unclear
Type of attempted engagement
  • Unclear
Location of mentioned reprisals
Egypt
Reprisal information
  1. On 28 September 2018, several special procedures mandate holders drew attention to the misuse of counter-terrorism legislation against individuals peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and association, which they said “should not be used as an excuse to suppress dissent or curtail human rights work.”133
Types of reprisals suffered
  • Unclear
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
Yes
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
No
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
How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
5
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
2020
Follow up information provided in SG report 0
  1. On 9 April 2020, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism expressed concern about “legislative changes covering anti-terrorism, protests, association and NGOs” which “include extending the definition of ‘terrorist entity’ and applying new measures against individuals, businesses, media outlets, and trade unions and provide for life sentences and capital punishment for funding terrorism.” She noted that journalists, human rights defenders, opposition parties and public-sector workers are also threatened40 (see also A/HRC/42/30, Annex II, para. 47).
Followup Trends 0
Deterioration/further reprisals
Date of follow up 0
9 April 2020
Did the government respond? 0
No
Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0
  • UN Special Procedures: Thematic
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
2021
Follow up information provided in SG report 1
  1. Multiple UN actors have addressed Egyptian legislation impacting individuals and civil society groups’ ability to cooperate with the UN, which has been included in the report of the Secretary-General since 2017.159 According to information received by OHCHR, February 2020 amendments made to the Terrorist Entities Law (Law 8 of 2015) and the Anti- Terrorism Law (Law 94 of 2015) reportedly continue to be used in the reporting period to target human rights defenders, and inhibit or punish them for their cooperation with the UN.
Followup Trends 1
Deterioration/further reprisals
Was this case followed up by a UN body? 1
  • Unclear
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 2
2022
Follow up information provided in SG report 2
  1. Multiple United Nations actors during the reporting period addressed the targeting and prolonged detention of victims of alleged reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations, including based on counter-terrorism and national security legislation.77 Special procedures mandate holders publicly denounced the misuse of counter-terrorism measures against civil society activists, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders,78 and called upon the Government to put a halt to it, review the legislation and “to ensure an open, secure and safe environment that is free from all acts of intimidation, harassment and reprisals”.79
Followup Trends 2
Deterioration/further reprisals
Date of follow up 2
January 2021, 15 July 2021
Was this case followed up by a UN body? 2
  • UN Special Procedures: Thematic
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 3
2023
Follow up information provided in SG report 3
  1. The impact of Egyptian legislation on the ability of individuals and civil society groups to cooperate with the United Nations has been included in the reports of the Secretary-General since 201780 with references to the misuse of the Terrorist Entities Law (Law 8 of 2015) and the Anti-Terrorism Law (Law 94 of 2015) to inhibit or punish cooperation with the UN as well as to the use of travel bans.81 According to information received by OHCHR, the use of travel bans under national security legislation has become a significant obstacle for civil society actors based in Egypt to cooperate with the UN. During the reporting period, travel bans severely limited the ability of civil society actors and human rights defenders to engage with the UN outside the country and led to self-censorship for fear of retribution. In March 2023, the UN Human Rights Committee82 expressed concern that significant numbers of activists and human rights defenders perceived as critical of the Government have been subjected to arbitrary travel bans and asset freezes under counter- terrorism legislation. The Committee urged Egypt to ensure that human rights defenders and civil society actors and organizations can operate safely, and lift travel bans and asset freezes against them.
Followup Trends 3
Deterioration/further reprisals
Did the government respond? 3
No
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 4
2024
Follow up information provided in SG report 4
  1. References to the impact of Egyptian legislation on the ability of individuals and civil society groups to cooperate with the United Nations has been included in the reports of the Secretary-General since 2017 noting allegations on the misuse of the Terrorist Entities Law (Law 8 of 2015) and the Anti-Terrorism Law (Law 94 of 2015) and the NGO Law 149/2019 and its regulations to hinder or punish cooperation with the United Nations and the use of travel bans. According to information received by OHCHR, on 20 March 2024 the investigative judge in case 173/2011 (known as the “foreign funding case”), an emblematic case under the NGO law and its regulations, closed the investigation against several human rights organizations and individuals, and ordered the travel bans and asset freezes to be lifted.
Followup Trends 4
Stayed same
Did the government respond? 4
No