Egypt

Human rights defenders in Egypt are subjected to acts of harassment, restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association, restrictions on freedom of movement, repressive legislation, stigmatisation, ill-treatment, torture and violent attacks. Increasingly, journalists and bloggers who have commented on the human rights situation in Egypt have been the subjects of threats, judicial harassment, beatings and arbitrary detention. Members of the judiciary who have expressed criticism of the government

According to the report of the UN SRSG on the situation of human rights defenders, non governmental organisations in Egypt “are active in the defense of various human rights including the freedom of expression and opinion, the freedom of religion, women's and minority rights, right to adequate housing, right to bodily integrity, right to health, right to fair trial and equal protection of the law, right to education, right to choose representative governments, refugee rights, and children's rights”. The situation of human rights defenders in Egypt is affected by the ongoing State of Emergency which was declared in 1981. NGOs have encountered problems with registration under the repressive Law 84 of 2002 which came into force in June 2003 and allows for criminal sanctions against members of NGOs who do not comply strictly with the registration proces. Peaceful demonstrations in defence of human rights have been violently dispersed by members of the police. There are concerns that the emergency anti-terrorist legislation may be used to restrict or undermine the work of peaceful human rights defenders.