AROPL persecution updates: Egypt wave

There have been significant updates and new developments regarding the persecution of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) community in Egypt.

This wave of repression began with a series of targeted arrests in early March. Between 8 and 14 March 2025, Egyptian security forces launched a crackdown on AROPL members, following a peaceful event in Giza where a banner representing the faith was displayed. At least four individuals were initially detained, including Hussein Mohammed Al-Tenawi, Omar Mahmoud Abdel Maguid, and Hazem Saied Abdel Moatamed. These men were held for weeks, denied access to legal counsel, and subjected to enforced disappearance, practices that have been strongly condemned by leading international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and other human rights groups.

Recent reports provide shocking details about the conditions endured by the detainees, describing their initial 30 days in custody, from the date of their arrest until their appearance before the public prosecutor.

According to first-hand testimony, both Hazem and Omar were subjected to brutal torture. Hazem was repeatedly struck with a metal rod, resulting in serious injuries to his palm and shoulder, including a severed tendon in one of his fingers. These injuries caused involuntary muscle spasms and exposed bone on the back of his hand. He was forcibly stripped naked and subjected to electric shocks applied to his genital area. Upon being transferred to a prison facility, Hazem received four stitches in his palm and another four in his shoulder, but he continues to require urgent medical attention for his hand, which remains untreated.

Omar’s experience was equally horrific. He was also subjected to electric shocks while completely naked, with the shocks targeting all parts of his body, particularly his genitals. He was beaten with a stick all over his body, causing severe swelling that has yet to be treated. His body was so swollen that he was unable to take off his shirt. For thirty days, he was confined in an underground room less than two meters wide, in total darkness, and kept handcuffed at all times. The physical and psychological toll of these abuses is severe, and both men remain in urgent need of medical and psychological support.

These accounts are consistent with wider accounts of abuse reported by other detainees and reflect the findings of international human rights organizations.

EIPR has issued a forceful condemnation of the ongoing arrest campaign, which since March 8, 2025, has led to the arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearance of at least fifteen individuals. Among those targeted are two Syrian asylum seekers, one of whom was deported despite urgent international appeals for protection. The list of those detained is as follows:

1. Omar Mahmoud Abdelmaguid Mohamed
2. Hazem Saied Mohamed Abd El-Moatamed
3. Hussein Mohammed Hassan Al-Tinawi
4. Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Al-Tinawi (Deported)
5. Fadi Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Al-Nahhas
6. Mahmoud Abdelmagid Abdelmagid Moaz
7. Al-Sayed Othman Mohamad Ghali
8. Hamdy Abd El-Azeem El-Sayed Abdallah
9. Othman Al-Gohary Othman Othman
10. Ali Al-Hadari (Ali Salah Ali Salah)
11. Ali Ahmad Mahmoud Shahat
12. Mohammed Eissa Rashad Abdelraheem
13. Mahmoud Ibrahim Mahmoud Al-Sharnouby
14. Mohammed Adel Mohammed Salah Al-Deeb
15. Mohammed Ahmed Ali Abdel-Hameed

As in the cases of Hazem and Omar, numerous detainees have endured severe physical abuse, deliberate deprivation of food and medical care, and inhumane conditions in facilities such as the 10th of Ramadan Prison, prompting EIPR’s call for an immediate end to the arrests, the release of all detainees, and a transparent, independent investigation into the reported abuses. Amnesty International has issued an Urgent Action for the immediate and unconditional release of detained AROPL members and for Egyptian authorities to end the persecution of religious minorities.

The state-sponsored campaign of terror against peaceful believers is not only a gross violation of international law but a disgraceful blot on Egypt’s reputation. The continued suffering of Hazem, Omar, and many others like them underscores the dire situation facing religious minorities in Egypt and the critical importance of advocacy and intervention.

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