@Private - curtosy of Basma Mostafa
Story behind
Basma is an Egyptian journalist and human rights defender. For years, Basma used investigative journalism to expose serious human rights violations in Egypt. Her reporting came at a high personal cost.
After being detained and targeted by Egyptian authorities because of her work, she left Egypt in 2020 with her two daughters in search of safety.
But leaving her country did not end her commitment to justice. From exile, Basma continued to document human rights violations and engage with international human rights mechanisms, including the United Nations.
What happened
Basma’s story illustrates the growing use of transnational repression as a form of reprisals against human rights defenders.
Even after leaving Egypt, Basma continued to face intimidation linked to her human rights work and engagement with the UN. She has been subjected to threats, surveillance, online harassment, cyberattacks and physical assault while living in exile.
Her case demonstrates how reprisals can cross borders, targeting defenders who continue speaking out and cooperate with international human rights mechanisms.
The seriousness of her case led UN human rights experts to raise concerns with the governments of Egypt, Germany and Switzerland. Her situation was later included in the UN Secretary-General’s report on reprisals, which highlighted concerns about continued harassment and transnational repression linked to her engagement with UN human rights mechanisms.
What do we want
We want transnational repression against Basma to end so she can speak out freely, continue her human rights work, and either return home safely or live abroad without fear of retaliation
