Between 8 and 14 March 2025, the Egyptian authorities arbitrarily arrested at least four members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief. Following periods of enforced disappearance, authorities brought three members of the religious minority, Hussein Mohammed Al-Tenawi, Omar Mahmoud Abdel Maguid and Hazem Saied Abdel Moatamed, before the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP). Prosecutors ordered their detention pending investigations on charges of “joining a group established in violation of law and constitution” and denied them access to a lawyer of their choice. The Egyptian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all arbitrarily detained Ahmadis and halt the targeting of religious minorities that are not espousing state-sanctioned religious beliefs.
