WJWC Denounces Egypt’s Statement Before UN Human Rights Council

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has condemned the Egyptian government’s statement delivered during the United Nations Human Rights Council’s review of Egypt’s final Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report on July 2, 2025.

The organization accused the Egyptian authorities of attempting to mislead the international community and conceal ongoing, systematic human rights violations.

WJWC pointed out that the remarks by Egypt’s UN representative in Geneva, Ambassador Alaa Hejazi — including claims that Egypt had accepted 281 of 343 recommendations and was committed to upholding human rights — stand in stark contrast to the reality documented by independent organizations and human rights monitors. The group referred to its own report, Prisons Without Keys: How Egypt’s Detention System Kills Life, Rights, and Hope, published on June 11, 2025, which found that over 60,000 political detainees remain imprisoned. Many are held without trial or on vague charges, in conditions that reflect a policy of systematic repression.

The report documented 1,160 deaths in detention over the past decade, with nearly three-quarters resulting from deliberate medical neglect. It highlighted the widespread use of recycling — the practice of bringing new charges to extend detention unlawfully — and noted that pre-trial detention hearings often last only minutes, frequently without defense lawyers present, turning the judicial process into an instrument of repression.

WJWC also challenged the government’s claims regarding protection of women’s and children’s rights. The organization reported serious violations against female detainees, including degrading searches, harassment, denial of medical care, detention with infants in unfit conditions, and instances of sexual and psychological torture. These practices violate Egypt’s obligations under international standards such as the Bangkok Rules and the CEDAW Convention. The group further dismissed government statements about investigations into torture and the independence of the National Council for Human Rights, citing ongoing use of electric shocks, suspension, solitary confinement, and other forms of abuse.

WJWC said that Egypt’s statements at the UN were a clear attempt to mask practices that in many respects amount to crimes against humanity. It warned that the silence of the international community risks enabling these violations to continue unchecked.

The organization voiced support for recommendations made by UN member states during the UPR process and called for urgent action. It urged:

·         An immediate end to enforced disappearances and case recycling;

·         Respect for detainees’ rights to legal defense, family visits, and medical care;

·         Application of Article 143 of Egypt’s Criminal Procedure Code, which sets limits on detention;

·         Independent international investigations to ensure accountability for human rights violations.

WJWC appealed to the international community, particularly European governments engaged with Egypt, to move beyond formal statements and exert meaningful pressure for genuine reforms. It stressed that future cooperation with Egypt must be conditioned on concrete progress in ending violations and ensuring justice for victims.