Egypt must cease all executions until the country has reviewed the death sentences and retry any convictions found to be based on unfair trials, according to five independent UN human rights experts.
Egypt’s mission to the United Nations is yet to comment but Egyptian prosecution and judicial sources have rejected the criticism.
The experts said that they had raised several ”specific cases” with the Egyptian authorities and are continuing to receive several others.
These UN experts report to the UN Human Rights Council on several areas such as extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and the protection of human rights while countering terrorism. They are José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez, Agnes Callamard, Bernard Duhaime, Nils Melzer, and Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin.
Allegations Of Torture And Ill-treatment
The experts said that given the “persistent serious allegations”, the Government must halt all pending executions.
The experts have expressed concern on the apparent pattern of death sentences being handed out on evidence that is obtained “through torture or ill-treatment”.
They asked that all death sentences be reviewed and in cases where the convictions are based on unfair trials, the individuals be offered retrials wherein Egypt’s human rights obligations “are fully respected”.
According to the special rapporteurs, the death penalty must be used only for the most serious crimes and only after due process with all legal safeguards.
In the past year, an Islamic State insurgency in North Sinai has grown to include civilian targets. Egypt recently renewed its state of emergency for three further months, and has broadened the power of authorities to crack down on its “enemies of the state”.
Sentences Based on Fair Trials
According to Egyptian prosecution and judicial sources verdicts in all cases are based on proof from investigations, forensic evidence and confessions, adding that the courts do not rely on confessions that are believed to be the result of torture or coercion.
Some Egyptians sources have called the UN statement “meddling” in Egypt’s judicial affairs noting that death sentences are given out only after fair trials are held where the rights and defence of the accused are guaranteed as per the law.
The sources also pointed out that those convicted had committed crimes that had caused deaths of innocent people and had also threatened the national stability and security – both of which are capital offences in Egypt.
