African Commission urged to confront deepening human rights crisis in Egypt – Jurist.org

Report on the Human Rights Situation in Egypt and its Implications for the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

An analysis of Egypt’s human rights record, presented to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, reveals significant challenges to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). A coalition of 22 organizations has called for decisive action from the Commission, citing a severe disconnect between official government reports and documented realities on the ground.

Discrepancies in Reporting and Undermining of SDG 16

Official Government and Rapporteur Submissions

Official reports submitted to the Commission fail to provide an accurate assessment of the human rights landscape, thereby obstructing progress towards key SDG targets.

• The Egyptian State Report (2019-2024): This report denied the existence of prisoners of conscience and framed severe restrictions on civil society as measures promoting “transparency.” This narrative directly contravenes SDG 16.10, which seeks to ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, and SDG 17, which relies on strong civil society partnerships.
• The Commission’s Country Rapporteur Report: The report omitted widespread violations and characterized the 2023 presidential election as “competitive,” despite evidence of repression that undermines SDG 16.7 (responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making). The rapporteur’s failure to engage with independent human rights groups further weakens accountability mechanisms essential for SDG 16.6 (effective, accountable and transparent institutions).

Systemic Violations and Setbacks for Sustainable Development

Erosion of Justice and the Rule of Law (SDG 16)

Extensive documentation indicates a systematic erosion of justice and the rule of law, fundamentally impeding the realization of SDG 16.

1. Arbitrary Detention and Unfair Trials: Thousands of peaceful critics, journalists, and human rights defenders have been detained under broad “terrorism” and “false news” charges. The practice of prolonged pretrial detention violates the principles of SDG 16.3 (promote the rule of law… and ensure equal access to justice for all).
2. Torture and Enforced Disappearances: Persistent patterns of enforced disappearance and systematic torture, recorded by rights groups and UN mechanisms, represent a grave failure to protect human rights and uphold the rule of law as mandated by SDG 16.
3. Suppression of Fundamental Freedoms: The blocking of hundreds of websites and the use of preemptive mass arrests to prevent protests over economic and social issues curtail freedoms of expression and assembly. This directly conflicts with SDG 16.10 and hinders progress on SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by silencing dissent on socio-economic grievances.

Structural Impediments to Accountable Institutions (SDG 16.6)

Legislative and constitutional changes since 2019 have further entrenched impunity and weakened institutional integrity.

• Legal Framework: Constitutional amendments expanding military authority, along with broad counterterrorism and cybercrime laws, undermine the development of accountable and transparent institutions.
• Lack of Accountability: There is a noted absence of accountability for deaths in custody, torture allegations, and past mass killings of protesters, signaling a systemic failure to uphold justice and reinforcing a climate of impunity contrary to the ethos of SDG 16.

Recommendations to the African Commission

A Call for Renewed Action to Uphold the African Charter and SDGs

The coalition of organizations urges the African Commission to take robust measures to address Egypt’s non-compliance with its human rights obligations, which are integral to achieving the 2030 Agenda. The Commission has not adopted a resolution on Egypt since 2015, despite a deteriorating situation. The following actions are recommended:

1. Issue a new resolution reflecting an evidence-based assessment of the current human rights crisis.
2. Ensure the Commission’s concluding observations are robust and directly address the violations documented by independent sources.
3. Establish a dedicated follow-up mechanism (under Rule 112) to monitor the implementation of recommendations, ensuring progress towards SDG 16.
4. Utilize the Commission’s early-warning powers to alert the African Union Peace and Security Council to patterns of abuse that threaten regional stability, in line with the preventative aims of SDG 16.1 (significantly reduce all forms of violence).
5. Condition any future proposal to hold a Commission session in Egypt on verifiable guarantees that all civil society participants can engage safely and without fear of reprisal, upholding the principles of inclusion central to the entire SDG framework.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The primary Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) addressed in the article is:

   • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. The article’s core focus is on the erosion of justice, human rights, and institutional integrity in Egypt. It details the failure of the justice system, the lack of accountability for state actors, restrictions on civil society, and the suppression of fundamental freedoms, all of which are central themes of SDG 16.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the article, several specific targets under SDG 16 are relevant:

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article implies this target through its mention of a “lack of accountability for deaths in custody” and past incidents like “mass killings of protesters,” which represent severe forms of violence and related deaths perpetrated by state actors.
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. This is a central theme. The article highlights “persistent patterns of enforced disappearance, systematic torture, and prolonged pretrial detention,” the weakening of “fair-trial protections,” and a general “lack of accountability,” all of which demonstrate a failure to uphold the rule of law and provide access to justice.
   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The article directly critiques the lack of such institutions. It points out that Egypt’s official report “misrepresented or overlooked key abuses” and framed restrictions as promoting “transparency.” The failure to implement the African Commission’s recommendations and the entrenchment of security power through constitutional amendments further illustrate the absence of accountable and transparent governance.
   • Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements. This target is explicitly addressed. The article details the detention of “peaceful critics, journalists, political figures, [and] human rights defenders,” the blocking of “hundreds of news and civil society websites,” and the “effective criminalization of assembly, expression, and association.” These actions are direct violations of fundamental freedoms and public access to information.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Yes, the article mentions or implies several indicators that can measure progress (or the lack thereof) towards the identified targets:

   • For Target 16.1:
     • Number of deaths occurring in custody.
     • Number of unresolved cases of mass killings of protesters.
   • For Target 16.3:
     • Number of individuals subjected to enforced disappearance and systematic torture.
     • Proportion of the prison population held in prolonged pretrial detention.
     • Number of cases where fair-trial protections are violated or weakened by legislation.
   • For Target 16.6:
     • The number of recommendations from international bodies (like the African Commission) that remain unimplemented by the government.
     • The degree of freedom for independent human rights groups to operate, measured by their ability to meet with international rapporteurs without reprisal.
   • For Target 16.10:
     • Number of detained journalists and prisoners of conscience.
     • Number of news and civil society websites blocked by authorities.
     • Number of preemptive mass arrests made to prevent protests.
     • Existence and application of laws that criminalize peaceful assembly, expression, and association (e.g., broad terrorism and “false news” charges).

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.	Number of deaths in custody. Accountability for mass killings of protesters.
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.	Incidence of enforced disappearance and systematic torture. Number of individuals in prolonged pretrial detention. Existence of laws that weaken fair-trial protections. Lack of accountability for rights violations.
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.	Failure to implement recommendations from international human rights commissions. Misrepresentation of human rights records in official reports. Exclusion of independent civil society from official visits/meetings.
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms.	Number of detained journalists, critics, and prisoners of conscience. Number of blocked news and civil society websites. Criminalization of peaceful assembly, expression, and association. Use of broad “false news” and terrorism charges against critics.

Source: jurist.org