The undersigned civil society organizations from around the world call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Egyptian activist, poet, and writer Ahmed Douma.
On 16 July 2026, the Fifth Settlement Misdemeanors Appeals Court is expected to issue its verdict on Douma’s appeal against the one-year prison sentence handed down on 3 June 2026. Douma was prosecuted solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression after publishing an opinion article on Al-Araby Al-Jadeed entitled “From Prison Within the State to the State Within the Prison.” In the article, he drew on examples from different countries to argue that imprisoning political opponents ultimately undermines state stability.
Douma was convicted over this article, in addition to a social media post discussing prison conditions, on charges of “publishing and disseminating false news domestically and abroad in a manner likely to disturb public security, spread fear among the public, and harm the public interest.” He has remained in detention since 6 April 2026.
Ahmed Douma should never have been arrested, prosecuted, or convicted. The criminal prosecution of a writer for publishing an opinion piece in a well-known media outlet is a blatant violation of his internationally protected right to freedom of opinion and expression. His case reflects the Egyptian authorities’ continuing escalation against individuals who express dissenting views or raise issues that deserve public debate and peaceful discussion.
At a time when Egypt seeks to project itself as a leading regional and international actor amid growing global instability, the continued criminalization of peaceful expression sends the opposite message. Silencing critical voices will neither strengthen the rule of law nor contribute to a more stable and secure society.
The reasoning underpinning Douma’s conviction leaves little doubt that he was punished simply for expressing his views and defending the rights of prisoners in Egypt. In its judgment, the court claimed that his article contained “allegations presented as established facts suggesting that state institutions deliberately intimidate citizens, subject them to abuse, and use correctional and rehabilitation facilities as instruments of enforced disappearance with the complicity of state institutions, thereby falsely implying that state institutions and their personnel violate the Constitution and the law.”
The court convicted Douma after rejecting most of the defence’s requests, including motions to hear defence witnesses and to inspect prison conditions, both of which were directly relevant to assessing the factual basis of the charges.
Prior to this latest conviction, Douma had already spent more than ten years in prison solely for exercising his constitutionally protected rights to freedom of opinion and expression. During his imprisonment, he was subjected to torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
Although he was released under a presidential pardon in August 2023, the Egyptian authorities continued to impose arbitrary restrictions on his fundamental rights. He remained subject to a travel ban that prevented him from leaving the country and faced obstacles that hindered his ability to pursue postgraduate studies.
Judicial harassment also persisted after his release. Between August 2023 and his most recent arrest in April 2026, Douma was summoned for questioning before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on six separate occasions in connection with his social media posts, writings, and public activities. He was also repeatedly ordered to pay bail, amounting to a total of EGP 230,000.
We, the undersigned organizations, call on the Egyptian authorities to release Ahmed Douma, Drop all criminal charges and end all judicial proceedings brought against him, and lift the travel ban imposed on him, which constitutes an arbitrary restriction on his right to freedom of movement.
Signatories
- American Middle East Democracy and Human Rights Committee
- Arab Center for Law and Society Studies
- Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession
- Arab Foundation for Civil Society Support and Human Rights
- Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE)
- Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
- Committee for Justice (CFJ)
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
- DAWN (Democracy for the Arab World Now)
- Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF)
- Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)
- Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
- EgyptWide for Human Rights
- El Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture
- EuroMed Rights
- HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
- International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
- Intersection for Rights and Freedoms
- Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF)
- Mashreq & Maghreb Forum for Prison Affairs
- MENA Rights Group
- Najda for Human Rights
- PEN International
- People in Need
- REDWORD for Human Rights and Freedom of Expression
- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
- Sinai Foundation for Human Rights
- Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
- Their Right
- UMAM Documentation and Research
- Wasl for Peace
