A/HRC/60/62 reportedly carried out attacks targeting civilians on ethnic grounds. In June 2024, the human rights defender was allegedly assaulted at his residence by armed individuals believed to be affiliated with the Zaire armed group. They reportedly subjected him to severe physical violence. In July 2024, a local chief reportedly informed the human rights defender that members of CODECO had allegedly planned to kill him and advised him to leave his home for safety. 41. Since November 2024, a woman human rights defender reportedly began receiving death threats in connection with her activism and collaboration with MONUSCO. In early December 2024, she participated in a radio talk show discussing MONUSCO’s role in stabilization efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A few days later, a group of men claiming to be affiliated with the military intelligence allegedly visited her residence while she was away. They reportedly warned her relatives that they would return if she did not cease mobilizing women in her community in support of MONUSCO. In the following week, threats reportedly intensified, and individuals from an armed group allegedly attempted to abduct her on two separate occasions, while she was traveling. She reportedly managed to evade both attempts. 8. Egypt 42. According to information received by OHCHR, Mr. Hossam Bahgat was subjected to reprisals in connection to his human rights work and engagement with the United Nations and its human rights mechanisms, in his capacity as the executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), a human rights organization, including in relation to the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of Egypt held on 28 January 2025. 43. In the months and weeks leading up to Egypt’s Universal Periodic Review, Mr. Bahgat 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 Review of Egypt, where 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. 16 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. 45. Mr. Bahgat planned to travel to Geneva on 28 January 2025 to attend the 48th Session of the UPR Working Group and continue his organization’s active engagement with the UPR process. However, just nine days before the session, 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. 47. 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 16 24 https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/eg-stakeholders-info-s48; OHCHR report with the Summary of stakeholders’ submissions on Egypt included twelve references to EIPR individual or joint submissions (A/HRC/WG.6/48/EGY/3).