Egypt's self-exiled human rights defenders are facing 'transnational repression'

Egyptian human rights defenders, currently in self-exile abroad, have been subjected to several forms of "transnational repression" at the hands of Egypt's security apparatus, a report recently claimed.

Entitled "Targeting Egyptian Human Rights Defenders in the Diaspora," the report was jointly released by the Egyptian Human Rights Forum (EHRF) and Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR), both operating overseas, basing its findings on interviews with 10 activists who had fled persecution at home to reside in the Middle East and other parts of the world.

"In response to their activism abroad, the Egyptian state stepped up its policies of transnational repression…. In an attempt to punish defenders and pressure them to abandon their work to ensure their safety and that of their families in Egypt, the regime has made use of all means at its disposal: material, moral, legal, and technological," the two groups claimed.

In doing so, the report noted, the Egyptian regime has reportedly attempted to physically track and watch activists and their activities in their countries of residence and, via digital means, including hacking and the use of spyware tools.

"Transitional repression" is a form of persecution carried out by the security apparatus of an authoritarian regime to silence dissent beyond its borders.

"I tried to avoid people as much as possible and not to get to know new people in fear of security monitoring, but I learned recently that security sent people to keep watch on me. They know what I do, where I work, what kind of work I do, and who I know. I found out that this girl [I know] went to Egypt and turned out to be a security agent," one of the 10 interviewees said.

No more safe options

The report also notes that self-exile abroad may no longer be a safe option because of Egypt's foreign policy, and its intensive activities in neighbouring states pose a threat to the lives of Egyptian defenders and dissidents who risk deportation.

"In the UAE, [known for having strong ties with Egypt], Egyptian dissidents who are not permanent residents of the country were arrested without regard for legal procedures and threats of deportation were made without stating cause," the report said.

"The risk of refoulement is further growing amid Egypt's relentless attempts to exploit its foreign relations with various countries to encourage them to close the doors of asylum or residency to defenders and dissidents," the report added.

Apart from other forms of persecution and surveillance, human rights defenders in exile face the prospect of being forcibly deported to their home country, even though international laws prohibit such practices under the principle of non-refoulement under international human rights law, the report noted.

The principle of non-refoulement guarantees that a person cannot be returned to a country where s/he could be subjected to torture, ill-treatment, or any other form of violation. 

International laws oblige states not to repatriate individuals fleeing persecution in their countries when they face a credible threat of torture, enforced disappearance, and other violations of dignity.

"All these international rules should protect any human being, including the human rights defenders studied by this report, against surveillance and retaliation, or what is known as transnational repression," the two groups stressed.

Other repressive measures used against dissidents in exile include legal means, such as placing them on terrorism watch lists, freezing their assets at home and convicting them with terrorism-related charges in absentia. Many Egyptian dissidents have been denied access to consular services abroad, including death and birth certificates, while others have been stripped of their Egyptian citizenship.

Character assassination is another oppressive tool that security agencies reportedly use to crush regime critics.  State-run and private media outlets, loyal to the regime, have waged smear campaigns over the years against regime critics and even celebrities, who live abroad, to the extent that some have been accused of allegedly committing treason with no solid or legal proof.

Punishment extended to families back home

The families and loved ones of those in self-exile who remained in Egypt could not be spared from harm as well.

In more extreme cases, family members were detained for days and even months over unclear charges. One interviewee said that his father was arrested and faced with spreading false news on Facebook, even though he never had an account in the first place.

"My father was arrested in my stead. They didn’t physically harm him. He was told by National Security that it was because he was my father, and I was his son [...] He was later released. I don't know the situation now, but I hope he's okay," the activist said.

Women and the LGBTQ community have had their share of defamation as well for being the most vulnerable, which has been reflected in "gender-specific threats intended to humiliate and stigmatise them socially", the report said.

"The LGBTQ community are the most threatened in exile. Even though they go to countries like Canada [known for tolerance] the repression doesn't stop. Sarah Hegazy, for example, continued to be an activist there, and her family here was wrecked," one interviewee noted.

The New Arab could not independently verify the conclusions detailed in the report at the publication time.

Local and international rights groups have repeatedly accused the government of President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi of overseeing the worst crackdown on human rights, media freedom and free expression in the country's modern history—with thousands of his critics already behind bars and many of them reportedly exposed to abuse, torture and medical neglect.