The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) has condemned what it described as the "clear targeting" of former student union leader Moaz Elsharkawy, now facing trial for the third time on similar terrorism-related charges.
In a statement released Saturday, marking the second anniversary of Elsharkawy's latest arrest, EIPR highlighted what it called "a systematic pattern of judicial harassment". The 31-year-old previously served as vice president of the student union at Tanta University after he was elected in 2015. He was also involved in a 2016 campaign for university regulation reform that reached the cabinet.
Elsharkawy was first arrested in April 2018 while working as a tour operator near Sharm El-Sheikh. According to EIPR, he was forcibly disappeared for 25 days and allegedly tortured before facing investigation in case no. 440 of 2018. He was held in pretrial detention until his release in 2020.
In August 2021, he was referred to trial in case no. 1059 of 2021 before the Emergency State Security Court, which issued a 10-year prison sentence in May 2022 on charges of "joining a terrorist group." The case also implicated political figures including former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh and Mohammed Al-Qassas.
On May 11, 2023, Elsharkawy was rearrested. Security forces stormed his family home in Cairo's Moqattam district, warning neighbors not to interfere. His whereabouts remained unknown for over three weeks until he appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on June 3.
He was interrogated in case no. 540 of 2023 without access to legal counsel or the case evidence, which EIPR said violated his right to a defense. He was later remanded for 15 days on charges of joining and financing a terrorist organization.
During the hearing, Elsharkawy told prosecutors he had been blindfolded and repeatedly beaten on the face and shoulders while in custody. He also reported being denied contact with both his family and lawyer. EIPR filed a complaint with the public prosecutor detailing these allegations, which it argued may constitute enforced disappearance and torture in violation of Egyptian law and international human rights standards.
EIPR lawyer Huda Nasrallah, who heads the group's legal unit, is yet to be allowed to visit Elsharkawy in Badr 3 prison, despite repeated requests submitted under Article 39 of Egypt's law on the regulation of prisons.
The group also raised concern over Elsharkawy's parallel prosecution in three different cases, all based on nearly identical charges of alleged affiliation with a terrorist organization. The second case, No. 13330 of 2023 , is scheduled for a verdict on June 24 and could result in a life sentence.
The third case, No. 540 of 2023, remains open. Though the prosecution announced his referral to trial alongside 70 other defendants more than a month ago, no date has been set. EIPR argues this violates Article 454 of Egypt's Criminal Procedure Code, which prohibits prosecuting an individual more than once for the same offense.
Elsharkawy was also listed as a designated terrorist in Egypt's official gazette in 2018—a decision he has appealed before Egypt's Court of Cassation. The listing came amid accusations that he had plotted campus violence in coordination with Aboul Fotouh, following his 2015 election as student union vice president.
EIPR continues to demand investigations into the abuses reported by Elsharkawy, including enforced disappearance, torture, and denial of legal representation—allegations it says contravene both national and international legal standards.
