On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed annually on August 30, Women Journalists Without Chains reaffirms that enforced disappearance remains one of the gravest crimes of our time.

This violation strips individuals of their liberty, identity, and protection under the law, while families are left in a permanent cycle of anguish, uncertainty, and despair. Far from being a relic of authoritarian regimes of the past, enforced disappearance today is systematically used in conflicts and political unrest as a weapon to silence dissent and spread fear across entire communities.

Enforced disappearance is a crime with devastating consequences that extend well beyond the victims themselves. Victims are often subjected to torture, isolation, and denial of due process, while families suffer immeasurable psychological and economic burdens, compounded by constant harassment and threats. Women, in particular, bear the brunt of this crime as they struggle to seek truth and justice, often facing retaliation in the process. Children of the disappeared are deprived of their rights to security, family life, and identity, in flagrant violation of international law. The international community has long recognized that the right to know the fate of disappeared persons is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of justice.

Despite the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance by many states, violations continue to spread across the Arab region and beyond. In Egypt, the practice has become a systematic state policy targeting activists and human rights defenders. In Saudi Arabia, enforced disappearances of journalists, clerics, and dissidents are carried out under the guise of anti-terrorism legislation. Tunisia has witnessed an alarming rise in arbitrary detention and disappearance since the derailment of its democratic process. In Libya, armed groups and rival authorities use enforced disappearance as a tool of conflict, while impunity prevails. In occupied Palestine, thousands are arbitrarily detained and denied their most basic legal rights, turning disappearance into a systemic instrument of oppression. In Yemen, enforced disappearance has become entrenched in the landscape of war, with the Houthi group and other armed factions using it as a tool against journalists, politicians, and activists.

These practices represent a flagrant breach of international law, including the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (1992), the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (2006), which recognize this crime as a crime against humanity not subject to any statute of limitations. The persistence of enforced disappearance is a direct challenge to the rule of law and an assault on the universal values of dignity, justice, and freedom.

Women Journalists Without Chains stands in solidarity with the victims of enforced disappearance and their families, who continue to demand truth, accountability, and justice. We call on Arab governments to immediately disclose the fate of all disappeared persons, end the use of secret detention, and provide reparations to victims and their families. We further urge the international community, United Nations bodies, and human rights institutions to intensify their efforts to end impunity, press for compliance with international conventions, and support mechanisms that guarantee justice and accountability.

On this solemn day, we reaffirm our mission to defend press freedom, protect the rights of journalists and citizens alike, and expose violations that threaten human dignity. Enforced disappearance is a crime against humanity and must never be tolerated. Women Journalists Without Chains will continue to document, advocate, and stand with the victims and their families until truth, justice, and freedom prevail.

Released by:
Women Journalists Without Chains
August 30, 2025