A/HRC/WGAD/2021/45 religion, economic condition, political or other opinion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status, that aims towards or can result in ignoring the equality of human beings (category V). Submissions Communication from the source 4. Mohamed Hassan Mohamed Salaheldin el-Baker is an Egyptian citizen, born in 1980, who used to live in Cairo. Mr. El-Baker is a human rights lawyer, and the founder and executive director of Adalah Centre for Rights and Freedoms, which provides legal aid to political detainees and prisoners of conscience, while promoting civil and political rights. 5. According to the information received, on 29 September 2019, while he was at the Supreme State Security Prosecution in the Fifth Settlement in Cairo, representing one of his clients – an activist and human rights defender – at an investigation hearing, Mr. El-Baker was arrested, without being shown an arrest warrant. 6. Reportedly, while handcuffed and in the absence of his lawyer, Mr. El-Baker was interrogated about his engagement with the universal periodic review mechanism. Later, Mr. El-Baker was accused, under the same case as his client, No. 1356/2019, over allegedly unfounded charges of publishing false news, belonging to a terrorist group, and receiving funds to carry out the goals of that group. He was ordered to be held in pretrial detention for 15 days, pending investigations. Mr. El-Baker was then taken to an unknown location, and reportedly subjected to enforced disappearance for 24 hours. 7. On 30 September 2019, Mr. El-Baker’s lawyer went to the premises of the Supreme State Security Prosecution to inquire about his fate and whereabouts. He was not able to get any information. At 5 p.m., the lawyer went to the Fifth Settlement Police Station for the same purpose. He was then told by the police that Mr. El-Baker had indeed been previously detained at that station and had been transferred out early that morning. 8. On 1 October 2019, Mr. El-Baker’s family went to the prisons authority to inquire about his whereabouts. They were informed that, on 30 September 2019, Mr. El-Baker had been taken to Tora Maximum Security Prison. His family was also told that visits were prohibited in the first 10 days of detention, and that even after that, Mr. El-Baker would receive visits only if permitted by the security authorities. 9. On 2 October 2019, El-Baker’s family went to the Tora Prison to confirm that he was actually detained there. They had to wait for four hours, but in the end, they were only permitted to leave him some money. On 8 October 2019, Mr. El-Baker’s family was finally allowed to visit him in prison for the first time. The visit lasted for 10 minutes under strict surveillance from the guards. 10. On 9 October 2019, when Mr. El-Baker was brought before the prosecution for the renewal of his pretrial detention, he mentioned that during his transfer to the prison, on 30 September 2019, he had been blindfolded and made to walk in a bent position while being subjected to insults, beating and humiliation. He had been deprived of all his belongings, including items of personal hygiene, and dressed up in prison uniform, while blindfolded, in a degrading manner. 11. On 10 October 2019, Mr. El-Baker’s lawyer visited him in prison, only for 10 minutes and under surveillance, which prevented the lawyer from asking further details on the violations to which Mr. El-Baker had been subjected. 12. Allegedly, Mr. El-Baker has been detained in poor condition. He was put into a dim cell, with no ventilation or access to clean water. Mr. El-Baker was also prevented from doing exercise. Furthermore, owing to his chronic kidney problems, which were further exacerbated by a lack of access to clean water, Mr. El-Baker asked to be examined by the prison doctor. The request was denied. 13. From the date of his arrest, Mr. El-Baker’s pretrial detention was renewed every 15 days until 18 February 2020, when the Criminal Court of Cairo ordered his release, pending investigations. However, the Supreme State Security Prosecution appealed the release order. The appeal was accepted on 20 February 2020, resulting in the renewal of Mr. El-Baker’s 2