The undersigned human rights organizations condemn the continued escalation in summoning human rights defenders, journalists, and political figures for investigation before the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP). These repeated summonses, accompanied by vague charges and excessive bail, have become a systematic tool to intimidate independent voices and restrict public space in Egypt.
Most recently, Dr. Aida Seif al-Dawla, co-founder of the El Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture, received a summons to appear before the SSSP on Sunday, 15 February 2026, in connection with Case No. 809 of 2026. The summons did not specify the charges against her or provide any details regarding the case.
Her summons comes amid a broader pattern of similar measures targeting public figures. Over the past year, a recurring pattern has emerged in which politicians, journalists, writers, and human rights defenders are arrested or summoned, interrogated for hours before the SSSP on broadly framed and repetitive accusations such as “spreading false news,” “misuse of social media,” or “joining or financing a terrorist group,” and then released on excessive bail.
Recent cases reflect this pattern:
- Political activist Ahmed Douma was arrested from his home at dawn, detained for hours, and interrogated on charges of “spreading false news” before being released on bail of EGP 100,000.
- Lina Attalah, Editor-in-Chief of Mada Masr, was interrogated over a report on prison conditions and released on bail of EGP 30,000 in August 2025.
- Human rights defender Hossam Bahgat was questioned before the SSSP in January 2025 and released on bail of EGP 20,000.
- Writer and political figure Ammar Ali Hassan was summoned in December 2025 over social media posts and released on bail of EGP 20,000.
- Human rights lawyer and political activist Mahienour El-Massry was interrogated in August 2025 in Case No. 6322 of 2025 and released on bail of EGP 50,000.
Across these cases, the profiles of those targeted, the repetition of nearly identical charges, and the consistent use of excessive bail make clear that this is not a series of isolated incidents. Together, these cases reflect a deliberate and systematic use of the Supreme State Security Prosecution to harass human rights defenders and other independent voices.
Bail is an exceptional measure intended to ensure a person’s appearance before investigative or judicial authorities. It must not be used as a punitive tool. Yet the repeated imposition of excessive bail, particularly in cases that do not proceed to trial, functions as a form of indirect punishment. It imposes significant financial and psychological strain, fosters fear and self-censorship, and turns the exercise of freedom of expression, journalistic work, and human rights advocacy into a costly liability.
The undersigned organizations therefore call for:
- An end to the use of vague and repetitive charges against journalists, politicians, and human rights defenders.
- An end to the expansion of excessive bail as a means of indirect punishment.
- Respect for constitutional guarantees protecting freedom of opinion and expression.
- An end to repeated summonses and investigations that erode the right to liberty and convert legal procedures into instruments of intimidation.
The summoning of Dr. Aida Seif al-Dawla, alongside similar actions against others in recent months, reflects the continued use of the Supreme State Security Prosecution as a tool to harass human rights defenders. We reiterate that safeguarding the independence of the public sphere and protecting the right to express dissenting views are essential components of the rule of law.
Signatures
The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
El-Nadeem Center
Law and Democracy Support Foundation
Refugees Platform in Egypt (RPE)
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Committee for Justice
Sinai Foundation for Human Rights
EgyptWide for Human Rights
Freedom of Thought and Expression Foundation for Human Rights
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Egyptian Front for Human Rights
Egyptian Human Rights Forum
HuMENA For Human Rights and Civic Engagement
Regional Center for Rights and liberties
Centre for Egyptian Women Legal Assistance
Masaar – Technology and Law Community
