Sudanese journalist Attaf Mohamed Mukhtar has been missing since 8 September 2026, following a raid on his Cairo residence and transfer to an undisclosed site.

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) calls on the Egyptian authorities to immediately disclose his whereabouts and secure his release.

WJWC expresses grave concern over his ongoing disappearance, noting the absence of any official statement on his detention and the denial of communication with his family. The organization stresses that holding a person incommunicado, without access to relatives or legal counsel, constitutes enforced disappearance and represents a flagrant violation of fundamental rights, raising serious fears for his safety and wellbeing.

The organization calls for his immediate and unconditional release if his detention is connected to his journalistic work or professional opinions. Should charges exist, they must be formally announced, he must be presented before a competent judicial authority, granted access to independent legal representation, and afforded all guarantees of due process.

WJWC further demands that his family and lawyer be permitted to visit him and verify his condition, that safeguards be provided against torture or ill‑treatment, and that he receive appropriate medical care throughout any period of custody.

The organization warns against the harassment or arbitrary targeting of Sudanese journalists who have sought refuge in Egypt after fleeing conflict. WJWC reminds all parties that press freedom and journalist protection are universal obligations, not confined by national borders, and that relocation abroad does not diminish a journalist’s entitlement to security, liberty, and legal safeguards.

Holding the Egyptian authorities fully accountable for Attaf Mohamed Mukhtar’s safety, WJWC calls for an immediate end to the uncertainty surrounding his fate, disclosure of his place of detention, respect for his rights, and his release without delay.