Saudi authorities have ignored urgent appeals from the family of Egyptian detainee Ahmed Fathy Kamal Kamel, as well as human rights activists, and proceeded with his forcible extradition to Egypt, despite warnings that he faces a serious risk of arbitrary detention and ill-treatment upon his return.
Ahmed Kamel, who had been detained since November last year, informed his wife, Sherine Grace Badawi, that Saudi authorities had booked a flight to deport him to Egypt on Wednesday, 5 March. His wife confirmed this on her @FreeAhmedKamel account on the X platform, stating: “My husband told me that Saudi authorities have booked his flight for tomorrow, Wednesday, 5 March, to deport him to Egypt.”
Sherine, who holds US citizenship, pleaded with the US State Department and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to intervene urgently with Riyadh to prevent this unjust deportation. She stated: “Please, I beg you to reunite our American family; help us bring my husband home for our young American children.”
In a subsequent post, she revealed that Saudi authorities had transferred her husband to Riyadh Airport in preparation for his deportation, adding: “We ask for your prayers for my innocent husband… Please help us keep up the pressure.”
She stressed that her husband had been residing legally in Saudi Arabia for over a decade and had committed no crime warranting deportation, saying: “Ahmed Kamel is an innocent man who has never committed a crime! He was a model legal resident in Saudi Arabia for more than ten years.”
According to activists, Ahmed Kamel was arrested solely for his participation in protests in Egypt 14 years ago, an act that was not considered a crime at the time.
His deportation is part of a broader pattern of security cooperation between Riyadh and Cairo in targeting political dissidents. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have previously handed over several Egyptian opposition figures to Egyptian authorities, despite international human rights condemnations and repeated calls to uphold human rights standards and guarantee that individuals are not deported to countries where they face torture or enforced disappearance.
Following his forced deportation, Ahmed Kamel’s fate remains unknown, as Egypt continues to systematically violate the rights of political opponents. With no guarantees for his safety, concerns grow over the likelihood of arbitrary detention, torture, or enforced disappearance upon his arrival in Egypt.
