U.S. Committee to End Political Repression in Egypt

اللجنة الأمريكية ضد القمع السياسي في مصر

We are a U.S.-based group of activists, scholars and researchers who have been inspired by the bravery and creativity of Egyptians struggling for freedom and alarmed by the dire levels of political repression in post-Revolution Egypt. Our goals are:

To share critical information about the Egyptian carceral state and its massive population of political prisoners.
To draw attention to the U.S. role in perpetuating rights abuses and the rule of corrupt, military dictatorship.
To carry out campaigns of support and advocacy for Egyptian civil society and political prisoners and their families, while fostering connections with similar groups in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Inji Efflatoun, In the Woman’s Prison, c. 1960 (Source: Mid East Art)

Events

Repression & Political Prisoners in Egypt: From Tahrir Square to Tora Prison (March 9, 2021)

Panel Discussion with: Sarah Leah Whitson (DAWN), Hussein Baoumi (Amnesty Int'l), Mohamed Soltan (Freedom Initiative).

Suspend Military Aid to Egypt: An Open Letter on Tax Day 2021 (April 15, 2021)
An Open Letter to Secretary Blinken on the Eve of His Trip to the Region (May 24, 2021)
Sisi's Many Jails -- From Gaza to Tora (July 1, 2021)

Panel Discussion with: Raed Jarrar, Yasmin Omar, Omar Shakir.

A Call to Congress: Investigate Egypt's Role in the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi (July 19, 2021)
(more to come)

Documents

An Interview with Gamal Eid: 'I am confident in the justice of my position' (July 18, 2021)
لقاء مع المحامي جمال عيد: أثق في عدالة موقفي (July 18, 2021)
First Investigation with Gamal Eid (July 28, 2021)
(more to come)

Articles

The Biden Administration Is Embracing Egypt's Dictator Sisi (August 25, 2021) by Joel Beinin and Allison McManus
(more to come)

Yassin Muhammad, “Investigation” (Source: Qantara)

Prisons

Most human rights organizations estimate the current population of political prisoners in Egypt to be over 70,000, although some think that the number of 100,000 is more accurate. Others give even higher estimates. In the ten years since the 25 January Uprising, the Egyptian state has built more than 35 new prisons just to handle the burgeoning population.

Inji Aflatoun, Scene from Women’s Prison, c. 1961 (Source: Al-Ahram)

Conditions

In Egypt, prisoners of conscience are regularly disappeared, locked in solitary confinement, held without trial, and denied access to food, health care, and family visits. Torture is widespread as is abuse. Egyptian authorities often hold the members of prisoners’ families as hostages. During COVID-19, conditions have only worsened.

Cases

Every prisoner, every human rights activist, and every fighter for democracy, is a human being with a story that deserves to be heard. Here are a few:

Alaa Abd El Fattah

Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh