Key facts
- Detainees in pretrial detention have urged the Egyptian government to apply new statutory limits to their cases, set to be introduced next month.
- The new Criminal Procedure Code, adopted in November, aims to limit periods of pretrial detention.
- Rights defenders support the detainees' demands, with one executive director expressing skepticism about the law's impact on the estimated 60,000 political detainees.
- Critics argue the revised legislation, like the initial draft, remains flawed and could expand police powers.
- The Egyptian government has referred thousands of individuals to trial before the new law takes effect, reclassifying them from pretrial detainees.
- The EU is expected to monitor pretrial detainee numbers before its final economic aid disbursement to Egypt in December.
Detainees held in pretrial detention in Egypt have appealed to the government to implement new statutory limits on their detention periods, which are scheduled to take effect next month. The new Criminal Procedure Code, adopted in November, aims to cap pretrial detention durations.
A group of anonymous detainees, in a letter seen by MEE, welcomed the impending legislation, expressing hope for their release and return to contributing to society. Rights defenders have supported these demands, with Samar Elhussieny, executive director of the Egyptian Human Rights Forum, suggesting the detainees are trying to get ahead of the implementation to ensure they are not excluded from the new cap.
Sources indicate that some detainees have been held for many years, with one 70-year-old doctor reportedly in pretrial detention for over six years, experiencing deteriorating health without adequate medical care. Another statement, signed by a different group of prisoners, protested detention conditions and demanded the release of all detainees, citing issues like prolonged pretrial detention, the "recycling" of charges, and the detention of children.
Despite the new law, rights groups, including the EU and UN, have expressed concerns. Critics warned that the legislation could expand police and prosecutorial powers and entrench existing violations. Elhussieny voiced skepticism about whether the law would lead to the release of the estimated 60,000 political detainees, noting that thousands have already been referred to trial, thus no longer being formally classified as pretrial detainees.
Rights activists have criticized the EU's approach to Egypt, suggesting concessions were made to secure an aid package. However, the EU is expected to consider pretrial detainee numbers before its final disbursement in December. Communication from within Egyptian prisons has reportedly become scarce since mid-2024, with authorities targeting rights advocates and family members of detainees.