PALAIS DES NATIONS • 1211 GENEVA 10, SWITZERLAND
Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
or punishment; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Working Group on Enforced or
Involuntary Disappearances; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary
executions; and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief
REFERENCE:
UA EGY 3/2021
4 May 2021
Excellency,
We have the honour to address you in our capacity as Special Rapporteur on
torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Working Group
on Arbitrary Detention; Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances;
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; and Special
Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, pursuant to Human Rights Council
resolutions 43/20, 42/22, 45/3, 44/5 and 40/10.
In this connection, we would like to bring to the attention of your Excellency’s
Government information we have received concerning Abdulrahman Gamal
Metwally Ibrahim and Omar Gamal Metwally Ibrahim, two brothers who
reportedly were arbitrarily arrested in connection to the military coup of 2013 and
subjected to torture and ill-treatment by security officials while in custody.
According to the information received:
On 24 March 2014, Mr. Omar was arrested. He was charged with affiliating
with the Muslim Brotherhood, considered a terrorist group and for protesting
without police authorization. During his detention he was subjected to torture
and ill-treatment. He was
subjected to electrocution and burning with
cigarettes. He was acquitted and released a few years later, on 28 January 2017.
On 14 November 2014, Mr. Abdulrahman, aged 23, was arrested outside his
home in the Suez City by plain clothes police officers, who did not present to
him an arrest warrant. He was allegedly charged with affiliating with the Muslim
Brotherhood, demonstrating, and burning police vehicles, six days after his
arrest.
It is also only then, six days later, that his family was made aware of his
whereabouts and of the charges against him. He was being held at the national
security building in Suez City and relatives were able to visit him. He was
however denied access to a lawyer.
Mr. Abdulrahman’s initial interrogation lasted for several days, he was
subjected to torture and ill-treatment, physically and psychologically in order to
extract a confession. He was blindfolded for most of the time while being
tortured. He was hang on metal bars and subjected to electrical shocks,
cigarettes were stubbed out on his body,