Bahey El-Din Hassan
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2018-019-902
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2018
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 26.820553
Longitude: 30.802498
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Egypt
- From Region
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Male
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
Director / Staff member of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
- 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
in relation to a memo sent by seven Egyptian civil society organizations to the United Nations Secretary-General regarding the presidential elections.
- Engagement with UN body
- UN Secretary-General / ASG
- Dates of engagement
- Unclear
- Type of attempted engagement
- Submission of information to UN
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 25 May 2017; 21 March 2018
- Reprisal information
Mr. Bahey El-Din Hassan and his family have been subject to asset freezes, and most recently to death threats in relation to a memo sent by seven Egyptian civil society organizations to the United Nations Secretary-General regarding the presidential elections. These death threats were reportedly made on television on 21 March 2018 and, prior, on 25 May 2017.
- travel ban (see follow up 2020)
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Administrative reprisal
- Family/friends/acquaintances targeted
- Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
- Travel restriction
- 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
- Government response dates
- 31 July 2018
- Government response content
Regarding the case of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and its staff members, the Government noted that Decision number 325 of 2011 assigned a Judge to investigate the legal violations of foreign funding received by associations and non- governmental organizations operating in Egypt in violation of the provisions of the Law on Associations and NGOs, including this organization, its founder, Mr. Hassan and its director, Mr. Zaree. The Judge requested that the relevant individuals be prohibited from making use of their real estate as well as movable and liquid assets in accordance with the provisions of Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code, to ensure that the court’s decision is complied, in case the court decides to impose fines or order compensation for the charges attributed to them, which are punishable by the Penal Code and Law No. 84 of 2002 on associations and civil institutions. The Government noted that the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies is not registered with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, and that financial transfers from abroad were received illegally in violation of the provisions of Law No. 84 of 2002, which governs the work of associations and civil institutions. Regarding the allegations that Mr. Hassan and his family were subjected to threats, the Government noted that they could submit a communication to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, since such a threat, if it has occurred, is unacceptable in breach of the law.
- 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?
- 4
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2019
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
- The 2017 (A/HRC/36/31, para. 30) and 2018 (A/HRC/39/41, Annex II, paras. 19, 22) reports of the Secretary-General addressed allegations of reprisals against civil society members in the form of asset freezes and travel bans. Several civil society representatives were prohibited from travelling outside of Egypt under case 173/2011, impacting their cooperation with the UN. On 20 December 2018, it was reported that over 40 civil society activists and human rights defenders were acquitted in case 173/2011, many of whom had been targeted for allegedly receiving foreign funds, inter alia. Despite this significant development, case 173 remains open and many civil society representatives have been brought in for questioning. As of May 2019, 31 human rights defenders were reportedly banned from travel, and around 60 summoned for investigation. Seven NGOs and ten human rights defenders were still subject to asset freezes including several cases in the 2017 and 2018 reports of the Secretary-General, such as staff members of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and members of their families, Mr. Bahe
- Followup Trends 0
- Stayed same
- Did the government respond? 0
- No
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
- 2020
- Follow up information provided in SG report 1
The situation of Mr. Bahey El Din Hassan, of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, was included in the 2019 report of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/42/30, Annex II, para. 50) on allegations of criminal charges, travel ban and assets freeze for his cooperation with the UN (EGY 16/2017). Mr. El Din Hassan reportedly continues to face attacks, harassment and death threats resulting from his sustained engagement with UN. On 19 September 2019, he was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison, as well as given a fine of LE 20,000 (USD 1,200) by the Cairo Felony Court (Case No. 5530/2019) related to a Twitter commentary he posted related to the Public Prosecution. His legal representatives filed a motion to the Public Prosecutor calling for threats that constitute incitement to murder to be investigated, on which reportedly no action has been taken.
- Followup Trends 1
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Did the government respond? 1
- No
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 2
- 2021
- Follow up information provided in SG report 2
- The case of Mr. Bahey El Din Hassan, of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), was included in the 2020 and 2019 reports of the Secretary-General151 following criminal charges, travel ban and asset freeze allegedly related to his cooperation with the UN (EGY 16/2017). On 19 September 2019, Mr. Hassan was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison and a fine by the Cairo Felony Court (Case No. 5530/2019) for a Twitter commentary he posted related to the Public Prosecution.
- On 2 October 2020, special procedures mandate holders addressed Mr. Hassan’s conviction in absentia on 25 August 2020 by the Fifth Terrorism Circuit Court in Cairo to 15 years imprisonment under article 34 of the 2018 cybercrimes law in apparent reprisals for his cooperation with the UN (EGY 13/2020). Allegedly, the file against Mr. Bahey El Din Hassan included his Twitter activity and a photograph of him speaking at a NGO side event in the margins of the June 2018 session of Human Rights Council. Together with the 2019 verdict, Mr. Bahey El Din Hassan would face 18 years in prison. On 8 October 2020, mandate holders said that the verdict was “an act of reprisal, seemingly punishing for his cooperation with the United Nations” 152 (see also EGY 13/2020). They stated that the “exercise of free speech and human rights work are being treated as terrorism” and “Egypt is using exceptional ‘Terrorism Circuit Courts’ to target human rights defenders, silence dissent, and to lock up activists during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- Followup Trends 2
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Date of follow up 2
- 2 October 2020, 8 October 2020
- Did the government respond? 2
- No
- 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
- 2022
- Follow up information provided in SG report 3
- The case of Mr. Bahey El Din Hassan, of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) was included in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 reports of the Secretary-General following criminal charges, a travel ban, and an asset freeze allegedly related to his cooperation with the United Nations (EGY 16/2017). On 19 September 2019, Mr. Hassan was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison and a fine by the Cairo Felony Court (Case No. 5530/2019) for a Twitter commentary he posted related to the Public Prosecution. On 25 August 2020, Mr. Hassan was convicted in absentia by the Fifth Terrorism Circuit Court in Cairo to 15 years imprisonment under article 34 of the 2018 cybercrimes law in apparent reprisals for his cooperation with the UN (EGY 13/2020). In October 2020, mandate holders publicly stated that the verdict was “an act of reprisal, seemingly punishing for his cooperation with the United Nations”, and that “Egypt is using exceptional ‘Terrorism Circuit Courts’ to target human rights defenders, silence dissent, and to lock up activists during the COVID-19 pandemic.” According to information received by OHCHR, in light of his conviction in absentia, Mr. Hassan continues to be unable to return to Egypt or exercise his rights as an Egyptian citizen, and remains in exile.
- Followup Trends 3
- Stayed same
- Did the government respond? 3
- No