Freedom of expression

Egypt continues to face a persistent problem of judicial harassment and restrictions on civil society, with authorities frequently using vague summonses and excessive bail to intimidate activists and independent voices. In mid‑February 2026, prominent human rights activist Dr. Aida Seif al‑Dawla was summoned by Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution without clear charges, reflecting this ongoing pattern. In response, on 14 February 2026, a coalition of Egyptian and international rights organizations — including the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, and Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights — issued a joint statement condemning these practices. The statement emphasized that such measures create a climate of fear, restrict freedom of expression, and undermine the ability of civil society to operate freely, urging authorities to respect constitutional protections and halt repeated legal pressures that punish individuals indirectly.

Reports continue to indicate deteriorating detention conditions for political prisoners in Egypt, including allegations of abuse, denial of basic necessities, and punitive measures against detainees. On 6 March 2026, the Committee for Justice (CFJ) reported serious violations against political detainees held in Reform and Rehabilitation Center (9) at Prison 440, documenting prison raids, degrading treatment, and the transfer of some detainees to an “intake ward” where they were reportedly denied adequate food, medical care, blankets, and personal belongings. CFJ also recorded allegations of torture and solitary confinement and called for an independent investigation into the reported abuses. This incident appears to be part of a broader pattern documented by CFJ in February and March 2026, including several deaths of detainees in custody, such as the death of political detainee Sameh Amer in Badr Prison in February and Ibrahim Hashem El-Sayed in Minya Maximum-Security Prison in March, amid concerns about medical negligence and detention conditions. CFJ has also documented severe overcrowding, disease outbreaks, and deteriorating health conditions in detention facilities, further highlighting systemic problems in Egypt’s prison system.

While serious and systemic violations continue to be reported, some isolated cases of release have been recorded in recent weeks. On 20 March 2026, Egyptian authorities released blogger and journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Radwan, known as “Mohamed Oxygen,” after more than six years in detention. Radwan had been arrested in 2019 following the publication of videos covering anti-government protests and political developments and was charged with spreading “false news” and related offences. Although he was sentenced to four years in prison in 2021, his detention was prolonged due to extended pre-trial detention and additional legal proceedings that were not counted toward his sentence. Despite reportedly completing his sentence in early January 2026, he remained in custody for several months before being released.