Egypt: Human rights defender forcibly disappeared for 7 days

Egyptian security forces have arrested the human rights defender Ahmed Amasha and forcibly disappeared him for seven days.

In a Facebook post his son Muhammad announced his arrest on 18 June and said that his family had no idea where he was.

His daughter-in-law took to social media to say he was actively engaged in human rights and environmental issues and had been working in the vet union.

Amasha, a vet, was part of an international campaign urging Egyptian authorities to close Scorpion Prison, one of Egypt’s notorious detention centres where detainees are systematically tortured.

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He also co-founded the League for the Families of the Disappeared which provides legal support to families of the forcibly disappeared and organises media campaigns for the victims.

Amasha is also a member of the opposition movement kefaya.

The 57-year-old had already been arrested in March 2017 and forcibly disappeared for 21 days before appearing in front of the state security prosecution on 1 April the same year.

He was charged with joining an illegal group and was held under pre-trial detention until his release.

At the time he made a speech in court saying he was scared of being forcibly disappeared again on another charge after the severe torture he was subjected to the first time.

He asked not to be released from prison so that he would not be rearrested and tortured again.

He also requested that his family be allowed to bring medicine to him because his health was in danger after being denied medicine and medical examinations.