The Public Prosecution has ordered the detention of Egyptian citizen Ahmed Ibrahim Anwar Mohamed, aged 40, for 15 days pending investigations in Case No. 1126 of 2025 (State Security Prosecution). He has been transferred to Badr 3 Prison for Reform and Rehabilitation.
This decision comes after more than six years of enforced disappearance, which began on 12 August 2019, when security forces raided his home in Zagazig, Sharqia Governorate, and took him to an undisclosed location. He was later transferred to Cairo and brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution.
The case sheds new light on the issue of enforced disappearance in Egypt, in which citizens are held for years outside any legal framework, without contact with their families or access to fair trial procedures.
Enforced disappearance constitutes a flagrant violation of the detainee’s fundamental rights, including the right to liberty and personal security, the right to a fair trial before an independent judiciary, and the right of the family to know the fate of their loved one.
Legally, both Egyptian law and the Constitution guarantee protection against arbitrary detention and outline clear procedures for arrest and investigation. These include the obligation to inform the detainee and their family of the reasons for detention, their right to legal counsel, and appearance before a judge within a specific timeframe.
The continued use of enforced disappearance for years on end blatantly violates these legal principles and poses a grave threat to human rights. Detaining individuals for extended periods without trial or clear charges exacerbates the suffering of their families, leaving them in a constant state of fear and uncertainty.
This case also raises broader questions about the balance of power between the executive/security apparatus and guarantees of fundamental freedoms and human rights, particularly in so-called “national security” cases overseen by the Supreme State Security Prosecution.
Ahmed Ibrahim’s case stands as a stark example of the ongoing crisis of enforced disappearance in Egypt and highlights the urgent need for legislative and judicial reform to protect citizens’ rights and uphold the rule of law.
