The Refugee Platform in Egypt expresses our deep sorrow and outrage over the death of Sudanese asylum seeker, Rashid Muhamad Abbas, which occurred following a period of detention. Against the backdrop of a recent, widespread security crackdown targeting forcibly displaced people residing in Egypt, a marked escalation was observed since the beginning of this year. RPEGY affirms that this incident, and those that preceded it, reflect a deeply concerning indication of the deterioration of protection conditions for refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt. This includes the humanitarian conditions of all detained people in Egypt; all of which calls for a serious investigation into the circumstances surrounding these inhumane conditions to ensure they are not allowed to take place.

RPEGY submits this statement to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, demanding an urgent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of forcibly displaced Sudanese citizen Rashid Muhamad Abbas that occurred on March 23rd, 2026, according to statements from the Abbas family and a number of human rights organizations.

Firstly – About the Arrest, Detention, and Subsequent Death: 

Detailed testimonies collected by the Refugee Platform in Egypt (RPEGY) from Rashid Muhamad Abbas’ family, his friends, and human rights activists from the forcibly displaced Sudanese community indicate that Rashid was registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Egypt as an asylum seeker, and was arrested in the first week of March 2026 during a large-scale security crackdown while Rashid was out of the house purchasing essential goods for his family. According to these sources, Rashid was taken to an unknown location without being able to communicate with his family or his lawyer. This disallowance alone constitutes a clear violation of the fundamental legal protections for detained people under Egyptian law while also simultaneously breaking international human rights standards; specifically the principle of recognition of legal personality, the right to have one’s arrest reported, and the right to access a lawyer.

According to the Abbas family’s testimony, Rashid was in perfectly good health prior to his detention, with no notable health complaints; history of chronic illnesses or known medical disorders; and no medical condition that he did have documented could explain his health’s subsequent rapid deterioration. Nevertheless, upon receiving Rashid’s deceased body and conducting an initial examination, the Abbas family and Rashid’s relatives noted visible swelling in his extremities and scattered wounds across his body, along with the bandaging of Rashid’s right foot without any explanation for the reason behind or circumstances leading up to the bandaging. These documented physical signs align with the statements provided by the Abbas family as well as activists, and support the notion that Rashid was subjected to mistreatment and torture during his detention. The culmination of which would be the rapid deterioration of Rashid’s health while he was being deprived of basic medical attention and supervision. 

Testimonies confirm that the authorities did not inform the Abbas family of Rashid’s deteriorating health condition or the circumstances surrounding Rashid’s arbitrary detention until immediately after Rashid’s death on March 23rd, 202. Furthermore, testimonials also confirm that the authorities never attempted to notify the Abbas family of an emergency medical transfer to a hospital or explained that the transfer was due to a medical emergency, nor was the Abbas family given the opportunity to accompany Rashid or monitor Rashid’s deteriorating health conditions. Moreover, the Abbas family also remains unaware of the exact location of Rashid’s death, as there are no documented reports clarifying whether Rashid’s death occurred at the detention facility itself, during Rashid’s transfer to the airport for forced deportation under the guise of ‘voluntary return’, or inside Cairo International Airport. Meanwhile, the so-called ‘Hope Committee for Voluntary Return’ claimed that the death occurred at Cairo International Airport during preparations for a deportation flight to Sudan, a claim contradicted by the Abbas family’s statement and the majority of human rights sources that demonstrate that Rashid was subjected to torture at the detention facility prior to his transfer. 

Evidence and photographs shared with RPEGY also indicate the presence of visible bruises on Rashid’s deceased body; the nature of the injuries and the manner in which they were bandaged suggest that Rashid was subjected to violent treatment during his detention, rather than suffering from a medical condition. In light of this information, the Egyptian Public Prosecutor’s Office issued an order for a forensic examination of Rashid’s deceased body prior to issuing a burial permit. Notwithstanding, the Abbas family has not yet received a full and transparent report clarifying the cause of Rashid’s death or indicating whether there was a direct link to mistreatment or torture. The reception of which would reinforce grave suspicions regarding the conditions of Rashid’s detention as well as the circumstances of his death, and undermine confidence in follow-up procedures and transparency. These developments, in conjunction with the fifth previously documented death in two months and the sixth death of a forcibly displaced person residing in Egypt who was detained for a short period, represent a disturbing pattern of violations against forcibly displaced people. This pattern so far includes arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, denial of family contact or visits, lack of healthcare, potential exposure to torture, and subsequent death under suspicious circumstances.

There are also frequent reports provided by families of a number of forcibly displaced people detained in various centers and police stations stating that these detained family members were denied contact with their families or the opportunity to receive visits. In some cases, families were not informed of the exact location of their detained family members’ whereabouts, further raising suspicions of unlawful practices as well as legal violations against the rights of detained people. In particular, these unlawful infractions involve restricting detained people’s right to communicate with their families and lawyers, as well as a lack of transparency regarding detained people’s places of detention. The Public Prosecution and all relevant authorities are required to open an urgent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into these practices, ensure full disclosure of the circumstances surrounding the death of Rashid Muhamad Abbas; hold those responsible to account; and take preventive measures to ensure that these violations do not recur in the future.

Secondly: Concerning the Recurring Pattern of Legal Violations

The death of Rashid Muhamad Abbas cannot be separated from the unprecedented security crackdown that began in December 2025 and intensified sharply during the first quarter of 2026. This crackdown was analyzed by RPEGY in our previously published reports, ‘The Collapse of Egypt’s Asylum System’ and ‘No Safe Haven’, alongside a series of prior investigations. The reports and investigations observed, documented, and described this crackdown as possessing a markedly qualitative shift, from targeting forcibly displaced people in border areas to launching large-scale urban raids in boroughs densely populated by forcibly displaced communities; specifically Faisal, Dokki, Ard al-Lewa, and Nasr City. 

Monitoring and documentation carried out by RPEGY from December 2025 through January 2026 reveal a systematic pattern of conduct that clearly violates the legal and constitutional protections guaranteed to forcibly displaced people. Moreover, these practices are consistent with what previous investigations recorded regarding the circumvention of release orders, arbitrary detention, and poor detention conditions. Among the most notable of this conduct is:

• Increase in Arbitrary Detention: A large number of arrests were recorded over short periods of time, reaching more than 10,000 cases in the first quarter of 2026, as part of widespread security campaigns targeting forcibly displaced people without clear and tangible legal justification, thereby undermining the legal protections afforded to forcibly displaced people under Egyptian law and international conventions that have the force of law pursuant to Article 151 of the Egyptian Constitution.
• Increase in Arbitrary Detention Based on Discriminatory Criteria: There have been reports of individuals being targeted based on their ethnic appearance or nationality, specifically forcibly displaced Sudanese citizens fleeing a proxy war without regard for their formalized, legal status as refugees or asylum seekers. 
• Detention Without Sufficient Legal Basis: Forcibly displaced people continue to be detained despite court orders for their release, under the pretext of referring the final decision to the ‘administrative authority’, which effectively circumvents the previously established court release orders; converts police stations into illegal detention facilities; as well as flagrantly and illegally violates detained people’s constitutional protections, guarantees, civil liberties, and legal rights.
• Issues Related to Legal Status and Formal Documentation: The unwillingness to abide by UNHCR cards and asylum documents during arrest and investigation procedures exposes forcibly displaced people to the risk of forced deportation and constitutes a clear violation of Egypt’s international obligations under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Additionally, this also constitutes a violation of the Headquarters of the United Nations (Headquarters Agreement) signed between the Egyptian government and UNHCR, which obligates the state to respect the UNHCR’s mandate; protect people under the UNHCR’s legal safeguards, and facilitate the UNHCR’s in providing legal and humanitarian protection to forcibly displaced people on Egyptian territory. 

Rashid Abbas’ death was preceded by a series of deaths of forcibly displaced Sudanese citizens in detention centers, which were documented in reports by RPEGY, namely:

• On February 5th, 2026, forcibly displaced Sudanese citizen and senior Mubarak Qamar al-Din Majzoub Abdullah died inside al-Shorouk Police Station after being unlawfully detained in inhumane and degrading conditions according to evidence assessed, with strong signs pointing to gross medical negligence and denial of adequate care despite Mubarak’s chronic illnesses. 
• On February 12th, 2026, forcibly displaced Sudanese citizen and teenager Al-Nazir al-Sadiq died inside Badr Police Station after being detained for approximately 25 days, in conditions described by RPEGY as being arbitrary, harsh, involving severe overcrowding, and amounting to physical abuse as well as systematic mistreatment. 
• On Friday, February 27th, 2026, human rights organizations reported the death of Guinean student Aboubacar Savane inside a detention center in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.
• On March 14th, 2026, RPEGY received news of another death: that of ‘S.M.’, a forcibly displaced Sudanese citizen who was detained at Boulaq al-Dakrour Police Station. Although the Public Prosecution issued a decision to release S.M., the administrative authority issued a decision to deport him, resulting in S.M. ‘s continued detention until their death on March 14th, 2026. S.M. suffered from diabetes, and their health deteriorated during arbitrary detention; S.M. developed an abscess on their hand and did not receive necessary medical care in a timely manner. Although S.M. was transferred to the hospital before their death, S.M. ‘s health had severely deteriorated as a result of not receiving the necessary treatment during their detention, before S.M. passed away. 

In addition to these previous incidents, the death of forcibly displaced Sudanese citizen Mujahid Adel Mohamed Ahmed, inside Third of October 6th City Police Station (known as the al-Ahram Police Station) on the evening of Friday, August 8th, 2025, occurred under similar circumstances involving prolonged detention and a lack of medical care, as documented by RPEGY’s prior investigations.

As a result, the death of Rashid Abbas constitutes a recurring incident in a systematic pattern of legal violations in the midst of comprehensive security campaigns as well as deportation policies, and the weakening of a formal protection system. This calls for the Public Prosecution and relevant authorities to take immediate action in opening an urgent and comprehensive investigation into these repeated violations; establishing institutional as well as functional accountability; and ensuring that this pattern is not dismissed as a series of ‘isolated incidents’. 

Thirdly – Legal Adaptation and Constitutional Violations:

The details, facts, and findings point to clear violations of the Egyptian Constitution and Egyptian laws, as detailed below:

• Article 54 of the Constitution—Civil Liberty: This article stipulates that civil liberty is guaranteed, and that no person may be arrested or detained except pursuant to a court judgment or a substantiated judicial order. The continued detention of forcibly displaced people, including forcibly displaced Sudanese citizen Rashid Abbas, without allowing them contact with their legal counsel or family constitutes a clear violation of this article and a breach of the fundamental guarantees of civil liberty.
• Article 55 of the Constitution—Detained People’s Dignity: This article guarantees the dignity of every detained person and prohibits any form of mistreatment including torture, degrading treatment, or physical or psychological harm specifically. Allegations of torture by the authorities and mistreatment during detention, in addition to denying contact with family and loved ones, constitute a flagrant violation of this constitutional provision.
• Article 93 of the Constitution—Compliance with International Conventions: The State is obligated to ratify and comply with the international treaties and agreements it has ratified, foremost among which are the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the principle of non-refoulement. The confiscation of UNHCR cards and their disregard during investigations constitutes a breach of the State’s international obligations. 
• Article 80 of the Constitution—Protection of Children and Minors: This article stipulates the protection of minors from any form of harm and sets strict conditions for their detention alongside adults. The death of forcibly displaced Sudanese citizen and teenager Al-Nazir al-Sadiq while in custody at Badr Police Station constitutes a clear violation of this constitutional guarantee.
• Provisions of the Egyptian Code of Criminal Procedure: These provisions guarantee a detained person’s right to contact and notify their lawyer, their family, and receive medical examinations when necessary. Any violation of these guarantees, as documented in the case of Rashid Abbas among other cases, constitutes a clear breach of the law and warrants a criminal investigation. 
• Provisions of the Egyptian Penal Code: Articles 126, 127, 129, and 282 criminalize torture to extract a confession from a suspect, and the sentence, in the event of death, is premeditated murder. These provisions also criminalize the unlawful arrest of forcibly displaced people, including UNHCR cardholders as possession of said card guarantees a person international protection from detention unless they have committed a crime. 

Recommendations and Demands Addressed to the Public Prosecutor’s Office: 

Based on the aforementioned facts, and given that the Public Prosecution is the judicial authority responsible for safeguarding constitutional legitimacy and overseeing prisons as well as all places of detention, RPEGY makes the following demands:

Firstly: Investigate the Death of Rashid Muhamad Abbas

• Launch a comprehensive criminal investigation into the facts surrounding the arrest, detention, and death of Rashid Abbas, and summon the chief of the relevant police station and the officers in charge of the security unit that carried out the arrest.
• Appoint a committee from the Forensic Medicine Authority to conduct a thorough autopsy of Rashid Abbas’s deceased body, instruct the committee to examine specifically for signs of torture as well as any physical injuries that may have resulted from mistreatment, and determine the extent to which medical negligence occurred in the provision of emergency care. 
• Investigate the credibility of reports which assert that Rashid Abbas died inside a deportation vehicle and that Rashid Abbas died as he was being forcibly deported while in critical condition. 

Secondly: Monitor Detention Areas’ Adherence to Legal Standards

• Immediately review all cases involving detained, forcibly displaced people commandeered by the ‘administrative authority’ following the issuance of release orders by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and ensure these forcibly displaced people’s immediate release unless they are found guilty of criminal offenses.
• Mobilize public prosecutors to conduct regular, impromptu inspections of police stations (particularly those located in boroughs with large concentrations of forcibly displaced people as well as communities) to ensure that detention conditions comply with the humanitarian standards set forth in the Egyptian Constitution and the Prisons Law. 

Thirdly: Protect Legal Status and Prevent Forced Deportation

• Issue rigid instructions to law enforcement agencies to comply with documents issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as valid identification that protects the holder from arbitrary detention, and investigate any incidents involving the confiscation or destruction of said documents.
• Immediately halt all forced deportations of forcibly displaced Sudanese citizens to destabilized areas, in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement and international conventions governing refugee rights. 

Fourthly: Take Accountability for Previous Deaths

• Reopen the investigations into the deaths of Mubarak Qamar al-Din Majzoub Abdullah, Al-Nazir al-Sadiq, and Mujahid Adel Mohamed Ahmed, among others, to ensure that those responsible for gross medical negligence do not go unpunished, and to provide justice and fair compensation to the victims’ families.

In closing, the rule of law in Egypt cannot fully materialize without protecting the most vulnerable groups within Egypt’s borders. A continued pattern of arbitrary detention and death in detention areas tarnishes Egypt’s international reputation and undermines Egypt’s historic obligations as a country that hosts forcibly displaced people. Urgent action undertaken by the Public Prosecutor’s Office is the only way forward to ensure justice and prevent the recurrence of these humanitarian tragedies.

RPEGY affirms that this incident, in light of recent events, calls for immediate judicial intervention to ensure respect for rule of law; protect the right to life and physical integrity; and hold accountable any party proven to be involved in human rights violations.

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