Police raid rights group and arrest staff members

Police raided the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) on Wednesday and allegedly arrested staff members and researchers Mostafa Eissa and Mohamed Adel, among others.

Reports say Eissa was working late with three volunteers when police stormed the ECESR headquarters and arrested him. 

Heba Morayef, Egypt director of Human Rights Watch in the Middle East and North Africa, said that police raided the office around 12:15 am and arrested Mostafa Eissa, Hossam Selim and another staff member.

According to Morayef, the authorities arrested everyone one in the building, so there are no witnesses. This is a “very serious escalation and a huge violation of human rights,” says Morayef, who added that lawyers do not know where those arrested are being held.  

According to Habiba Ramadan, a researcher at the center, Mohamed Adel, volunteer Mahmoud Belal, lawyer Mostafa Eissa, and three others were arrested last night and released this morning, except for Adel, who is still in detention with his whereabouts unknown.

Member of the April 6 Youth Movement and political activist Mohamed Adel was arrested on charges of taking part in protests outside the Shura Council, privately owned Al-Masry Al-Youm stated later on Thursday.

The ECESR issued a written statement, maintaining that those arrested were working on a documentary about the Iron and Steel workers strike in Helwan, scheduled to be presented at a conference on December 19. The center will hold a press conference at 2:30 pm to explain the circumstances of the arrests.

The ECESR is an Egyptian, non-governmental, legal and research body, which aims to empower the public by addressing social and economic rights violations through campaigning.