A/HRC/48/28 9. Djibouti 38. The case of Mr. Kadar Abdi Ibrahim, of the Mouvement pour la démocratie et la liberté (MoDEL) was included in the 2020, 2019 and 2018 reports of the Secretary-General144 on allegations of passport confiscation related to his engagement with the UPR review of Djibouti in May 2018 (DJI 1/2018).145 In September 2018, the Government indicated that Mr. Ibrahim had been placed under surveillance due to suspicion of connection with extremist movements. According to information received by OHCHR, as of 30 April 2021, Mr. Ibrahim’s passport remains confiscated by the Service de Documentation et Sécurité (SDS), to whom he has made multiple inquiries. According to information received, the prolongation of the travel ban in place since 2018 reportedly obstructs Mr. Ibrahim from undertaking his human rights work and prevents him from directly engaging with partners and actors outside the country, including the UN. 39. On 12 August 2021, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report, reiterating that Mr. Ibrahim continues his anti-constitutional and illegal activities and remains at the head of a religious organization which aims to recruit vulnerable people into its network. The Government stated that this organization receives funds from abroad and has connections with extremist movements and it therefore reserves the right to restrict his movements. 10. Egypt 40. 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 2020, 2019 and 2018 reports of the Secretary-General 146 on allegations of enforced disappearance and torture for his attempted cooperation in September 2017 with the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID). In 2019, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention 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.147 In its August 2020 report, the WGEID continued to condemn the ongoing detention of Mr. Metwally (A/HRC/45/13, para. 63). At the March 2021 session of the Human Rights Council, a group of 26 Member States called for Mr. Metwally’s release.148 41. On 29 July 2020, special procedures mandate holders addressed Mr. Metwally’s detention and deteriorating health condition (EGY 10/2020). According to information received by OHCHR, on 26 August 2020, the Criminal Court of Cairo ordered the release of Mr. Metwally under precautionary measures in Case No. 1470 of 2019 on charges of “joining a terrorist group” and “funding terrorism”. The nature of the precautionary measures is unknown. Despite this decision, Mr. Metwally was reportedly kept in detention until 6 September 2020, when he was brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution and attached to 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 establishing an illegal organization and publishing false news and rumours (arts. 86 bis and 188 of the Penal Code). Mr. Metwally is reportedly still facing charges of “founding and leading a group established in contravention of the provisions of the law”, “publishing and spreading false news”, and “communicating with foreign entities in order to 144 145 146 147 148 A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, paras. 42-43; A/HRC/42/30, Annex II, paras. 40–41; A/HRC/39/41, Annex I, para. 31. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=34341. A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, paras. 44-46; A/HRC/42/30, Annex II, paras. 42–44; A/HRC/39/41 para. 38 and Annex I, paras. 32–35. A/HRC/WGAD/2019/41, paras. 34, 40, 46, 51, 56. 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). 57