Human Rights Watch: Egyptian security forces carried out dozens of extrajudicial killings from 2015-2020

Egyptian security forces have killed dozens of people they allege to be terrorists in extrajudicial killings between January 2015 and December 2020, according to Human Rights Watch, which said in a new report released on Tuesday morning that the killings were disguised as “shootouts” between security forces and alleged armed militants.

HRW called on Egypt’s international partners to condition continued military aid and weapons sales to the country on an  end to human rights violations and for sanctions to be imposed on the security agencies and officials responsible for abuses.

The new 101-page report, which drew on 14 case studies and on media published by government bodies, claimed that the alleged armed militants did not pose an imminent danger to security forces or others when they were killed in putative firefights, and, in many cases, they appear to have been held in custody before their deaths. 

According to HRW, the Interior Ministry announced that at least 755 people were killed and only one arrested in 143 alleged shootouts between January 2015 and December 2020. HRW noted that only 141 of those killed were identified by name in the ministry’s statements and that all of the statements claim the suspects opened fire first, thereby compelling security forces to return fire. The Interior Ministry also stated that all of those killed were wanted on terrorism charges and for their alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

HRW examined the cases of 14 among 75 people killed in nine of the incidents mentioned by the Interior Ministry. All 14 people were arrested before their deaths, according to family members and acquaintances interviewed by HRW, and, in one case, interviewees said the arrest was carried out “probably by the National Security Agency.”  

 Many of the families interviewed by HRW said they heard about the deaths from the media and faced intimidation and harassment when they tried to retrieve the bodies. Only one family confirmed that their killed relative was likely involved in armed militancy, while the rest denied that their relatives had engaged in violence or in politics at all. 

In three cases, HRW concluded that the  Interior Ministry’s narrative that the men died in a firefight was inconsistent with the organization’s analysis of photos and videos released by the ministry, where the hands of the bodies showed signs of having been restrained or cuffed behind their backs shortly before their deaths. 

The report also refers to another case where one local newspaper reported the arrest of a 19-year-old student and subsequent week-long interrogation before the Interior Ministry claimed security forces killed him in a “shootout.”

The report noted that no suspects were arrested in the nine incidents and there were no casualties among security forces. Most Interior Ministry statements only said that “the Supreme State Security Prosecution is investigating the incident,” without providing further explanation, according to HRW.

In addition to calling for sanctions and conditions on further weapon sales, HRW also called on the UN Human Rights Council to establish an international independent mechanism to monitor the human rights situation in Egypt and to investigate violations.