Egypt rights groups slam Saudi Arabia's jailing of Nubian men over war commemoration

Egyptian human rights groups have slammed the "unfair" trial of ten Nubian Egyptians in Saudi Arabia, which ended with their sentencing for up to 18 years in prison.

The men, who were arrested in 2019 for organising an event to mark the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, were found guilty of establishing a "terrorist group".

In a statement, the rights groups urged Cairo to fulfil its duties to Egyptians jailed abroad as outlined in Article 88 of Egypt's constitution, which says that the state "shall protect the interests of Egyptians living abroad, protect them, guarantee their rights and freedoms".

🚨Yesterday, the Specialized Criminal Court in #SaudiArabia sentenced 10 Egyptian Nubian men to between 10 and 18 years in prison for organizing a peaceful remembrance event.

This is a complete mockery of justice. https://t.co/ppEDFPuEHq

— Amnesty Gulf (@amnestygulf) October 11, 2022

The statement was signed by six rights groups including the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedom and the Refugee Platform in Egypt.

The Egyptian men were first arrested in October 2019 for trying to organise the remembrance event, similar versions of which had taken place in previous years without incident.

They were released without charge in December 2019, then re-arrested the following July. Saudi authorities have denied the men regular contact with their families, according to Amnesty International.

According to Amnesty, Saudi security officials criticised them "for failing to include a photo of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the event's announcement poster".