I join many other human rights organizations in expressing deep concern over the forced disappearance of student Ahmed Hassan Mustafa, who has been missing for over 2,000 days. It is heartbreaking to think that after all this time, his family still has no knowledge of his whereabouts. How can we remain silent in the face of such injustice? I strongly urge the Egyptian authorities to immediately reveal Ahmed’s location, to inform his family and lawyer about the conditions of his detention, and to seriously investigate the complaints submitted by his loved ones.
But it’s not just Ahmed. His case is one of many that reflects a frightening trend that has taken hold in Egypt. Hundreds of families are left heartbroken, living in constant uncertainty, as the authorities continue to hide the fate of the people they disappear. I often think of Ahmed’s family, of the pain and anguish they must feel every single day. Ahmed was only 18 years old when security forces arrested him in the Moqattam district of Cairo in early April 2019. Since that moment, his family has heard nothing from him. They searched everywhere—hospitals, police stations—but found no answers. And when they tried to file a missing person report, the Moqattam Police Department refused to process it, without providing any explanation.
I cannot forget about Ahmed’s brother, Mohamed Hassan Mustafa, who was arrested and disappeared for three months in 2019. His family had no idea where he was until he finally appeared before the prosecutor, charged with “belonging to a terrorist group” and “spreading false news.” This is the reality that many families in Egypt face today. And Mohamed is just one of many.
The complaints filed by Ahmed’s family have been ignored. They have sought justice through every possible avenue—filing complaints with the Ministry of Interior, taking the case to court, but nothing has come of it. Even when the court ordered the Ministry of Interior to disclose Ahmed’s fate in March 2020, the order was simply ignored. And although the Ministry’s appeal was rejected in 2020, confirming its obligation to reveal the truth, that truth is still being denied.
I cannot accept this. We cannot accept that the right to know what has happened to a disappeared person is trampled upon. Egypt, under its own constitution and international commitments, has a duty to protect its citizens from crimes like enforced disappearance and torture. Yet, the number of disappeared citizens in Egypt continues to grow. This is not just a failure of justice, it is an affront to human dignity.
I call on the Egyptian authorities, the Ministry of Interior, the Attorney General, to finally bring clarity. It is necessary to open a serious investigation into all the complaints filed by the families of Ahmed Hassan Mustafa and all those who have been forcibly disappeared. We need to know where they are. We need to see those responsible held accountable for their actions. Only then can we restore justice and dignity to these individuals and their loved ones.
