Human rights defenders in exile face growing acts of transnational repression on a global scale. ISHR interviewed Basma Mostafa, a Berlin-based Egyptian journalist and woman human rights defender, who recounted threats and attacks she faced in exile for documenting enforced disappearances in Egypt and the MENA region.
During Egypt's UPR adoption at HRC59, Nora Noralla delivered a joint statement on behalf of ISHR, Cairo 52 and Middle East Democracy Center. Watch and read the full statement below.
ISHR has published ‘scorecards’ for States seeking election to the UN Human Rights Council for 2026-2028 to help inform voting States’ decisions in the upcoming election.
In a statement at an interactive dialogue on the annual report of the High Commissioner, ISHR Executive Director Phil Lynch called on States to support the work of defenders and to pay their UN dues.
Over 20 NGOs demand the immediate and unconditional release of Ibrahim Metwally, detained solely for peacefully exercising his human rights.
A coalition of 25 UK, Egyptian and international organisations have called on British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to use the UN Human Rights Council to draw attention to the pronounced human rights crisis in Egypt. Doing so would support arbitrarily imprisoned British-Egyptian national Alaa Abd el-Fattah, the groups said.
NGOs call upon States to make recommendations to Egypt in upcoming Universal Periodic Review on the lifting of all travel bans, asset freezes and other punitive measures against human rights defenders, including EIPR’s staff members, and to end the targeting of human rights defenders and organisations solely for their legitimate work.
‘The Egyptian authorities must open the civic space for civil society to play its role. They must stop persecuting human rights defenders, political opponents, and journalists simply for doing their jobs. The UN and the international community must maintain pressure on them to comply with human rights standards.’
Civil society calls for the immediate release of human rights defender Hoda Abdelmonem, arbitrarily detained for six years in Egypt.
On April 15 2024, ISHR submitted its annual submission to the UN Secretary General on intimidation and reprisals against defenders engaging or seeking to engage with the UN and its human rights mechanisms.
