On 14 August 2026, families of Egyptian detainees launched Families of Egyptian Detainees Association (FEDA) to seek releases, fair trials and better prison conditions on the 13th anniversary of Rabaa to seek practical solutions to what it described as a 13-year detention crisis and press for improved prison conditions and fair trials.
In its founding statement, FEDA said its main objective was to bring an end to “the tragedy that has continued for 13 years” by pursuing measures that could lead to the release of political detainees.The group’s launch coincides with the 13th anniversary of the Rabaa and Nahda massacres on 14 August 2013, when Egyptian security forces violently dispersed two sit-ins by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo.
The association said it would use legal and political channels to seek prisoners’ release and push for fair trials and detention conditions that comply with Egyptian law and international standards.
Its plans include approaching Egyptian and international institutions, political and religious leaders, and figures working in politics, media and human rights. FEDA also intends to visit the United Nations and bodies dealing with detention and enforced disappearance, pursue legal cases over alleged abuses and organise solidarity events.
Human Rights Watch estimated in 2017 that around 60,000 people had been imprisoned on political grounds since that year, although that cannot be treated as a current estimate of those presently held.
Rights organisations say political detention has affected journalists, activists, human rights defenders, protesters, academics and political opponents, as well as people detained over expression or political activity.
The association stressed that it was not aligned with any particular political movement, saying its purpose was to represent detainees’ families and work with Egyptian and international institutions to bring the political detention crisis to an end.
https://www.newarab.com/news/egypt-political-prisoners-families-launch-intl-rights-group
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