Egyptian authorities have initiated criminal proceedings against three human rights activists following their involvement in a public exhibition in Cairo that advocated for the release of political prisoners. The arrests, carried out on May 25, target members of the Committee to Defend Prisoners of Conscience (CDPC), an informal advocacy group.
Mohamed Abu al-Dayyar, a lawyer and former campaign manager for presidential candidate Ahmed Altantawy, remains in pretrial detention after being ordered held for 15 days by the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP). Prosecutors have leveled charges against him including “joining a terrorist group,” “disseminating false news,” and “using a website to promote terrorist activities.” Legal counsel from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) confirmed that interrogations focused on the CDPC’s recent exhibition, titled “They don’t belong in prison,” and Abu al-Dayyar’s previous electoral work.
The exhibition, held on May 12 at the headquarters of the Bread and Freedom party, displayed photographs and case files of several individuals currently held in Egyptian detention, including Mohamed Adel, Marwa Arafa, Yehia Hussein Abdelhady, and Ashraf Omar. During the interrogation, authorities reportedly presented a screenshot of a Facebook post and a digital disc containing images from the event as evidence of the alleged offenses.
Two other activists arrested on the same day, pharmacist Hanan Altantawy and lawyer Wafaa al-Masry, were released on bail of 50,000 EGP (approximately $957 USD) each. Both face ongoing investigations into accusations of “disseminating false news” related to their organizational roles in the CDPC. Al-Masry was apprehended while visiting the North Coast, while Altantawy was taken from her home in Giza.
The crackdown extends beyond these three individuals. In mid-May, the CDPC issued a formal denunciation of the state’s intimidation tactics, reporting that several relatives of detainees were arrested in connection with the exhibition before being released days later. Mahmoud Shalaby, a regional researcher at Amnesty International, characterized the prosecutions as a clear signal regarding the government’s stance on civil society, stating that the state’s actions contradict its claims of human rights progress made to international partners, including the European Union.
For Abu al-Dayyar, this marks his second significant legal confrontation with the state within the year. In February 2024, he was sentenced to a one-year prison term for allegedly inciting others to distribute unauthorized election-related materials. Those charges were linked to the Altantawy campaign’s efforts to provide online endorsement forms to supporters who encountered obstacles at state-run notary offices.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) noted in late 2025 that the frequency of such detentions in Egypt suggests a systematic pattern of use. As of the current date, the SSSP has not indicated if or when the investigation into the three activists will be concluded or referred to a trial court, and Abu al-Dayyar remains in custody pending the expiration of his 15-day detention order.
