Egyptian students 'kidnapped by security forces'

Mohammed Yousry Ali, an engineering student, was kidnapped by police while he was heading to see friends, reported Egypt's Human Rights Monitor, a group set up to act as a watchdog for violations of rights. 

Ali's family have made numerous complaints with the Attorney General and other relevant authorities, but have seemingly been ignored, and Egyptian authorities have refused to declare his whereabouts.

The family said that since his abduction, they have faced "psychological hell" as they wait for news about their son.

The Human Rights Monitor also told of a recent similar case.

Amr Gamal Abdel Moneim, a 20-year-old student at the faculty of arts in Alexandria University was abducted from his house on February 4, before he was assaulted and beaten.

His family said that his location also remains unknown, and relatives were met with a dismissive attitude from authorities.

We all live in psychological torture, and suffer from a severe sense of injustice

Earlier this month, the monitor documented the disappearance of another student, Fatima Hassan Shahata, aged 19, who has been missing from Port Said since January 11.

The young woman, who was studying at al-Azhar University, is suspected to have been abducted by police, although officials have denied that she was arrested.

"We all live in psychological torture, and suffer from a severe sense of injustice… neither Fatima or her family members have any political affiliations," said her mother.

The group appealed to Egyptian authorities to release the detainees or declare their whereabouts and allow their families contact.

They added that authorities were responsible for the safety of detainees and called for an immediate stop to forcibly abducting prisoners.

The disappearance, torture and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni who was visiting Cairo on a research trip made international news. Many have since urged that the same attention be paid to Egyptian victims of enforced disappearances carried out by authorities.

In a letter protesting the death of Regeini, academics demanded that Egyptian authorities "co-operate with an independent and impartial investigation into all instances of forced disappearances, cases of torture and deaths in detention during January and February this year".

The Egyptian Centre for Rights and Freedoms said that there were 1,840 cases of enforced disappearances in Egypt during 2015, of which 366 detainees remain unaccounted for.