Basma Mostafa
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2025-048-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2025
- From Country
- 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
- 20 December 2024
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Female
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
Egyptian investigative journalist and human rights defender who has been in exile since November 2020.
- 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
participation in an international advocacy program for human rights and her meetings with United Nations human rights mechanisms and OHCHR
- Engagement with UN body
- Unclear
- Type of attempted engagement
- Other
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 16-18 June 2024
- Location of mentioned reprisals
- Geneva
- Reprisal information
On 16 June 2024, in the context of Ms. Mostafa’s participation in an international advocacy program for human rights defenders in Geneva and meetings with United Nations human rights mechanisms and OHCHR, an individual reportedly followed Ms. Mostafa to the hotel where she was staying. The following day, there was an attempt to hack her social media account by an unknown actor. On 18 June 2024, a man reportedly approached her, stating that he knew she was Egyptian and that he was a police officer who could arrest her on the spot. These incidents were reported to the Swiss authorities (EGY 6/2024).
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Other
- Surveillance
- Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Further case development
- Mandate holders raised concerns about the repeated and prolonged harassment, acts of intimidation, and cyberattack attempts against Ms. Mostafa, which appear to indicate that she is a victim of transnational repression in direct retribution for her work as a journalist and human rights defender and expressed deep concern that these acts may constitute acts of intimidation or reprisal for her cooperation with the United Nations and its mechanisms in the field of human rights. (EGY 6/2024) Mandate holders also expressed concerns about the arrest, detention, alleged enforced disappearance, and allegedly baseless charges brought against Ms. Mostafa, in direct connection with her work as a journalist and human rights defender, which ultimately forced her into exile (EGY 6/2024).
- Government response dates
- 14 July 2025
- Government response content
On 14 July 2025, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report noting that it respects the rule of law and the separation of powers and ensures compatibility of national legislation with its obligations under international law. It further stated that the Egyptian Public Prosecution is an independent judicial authority and that charges are made and law enforcement and judicial measures are undertaken based only on incontrovertible evidence. It also noted that it does not exercise its law enforcement jurisdiction except through the established legal channels either through Interpol or the execution of agreements on criminal or judicial cooperation, depending on each specific case.
- 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