It has been almost one-and-a-half months since human rights lawyer Malek Adly was arrested, and campaigns for his release have only grown during that time.
Italian rights group Progressi has condemned Adly’s arrest, demanding his immediate release.
“Malek was among the first lawyers to condemn the killing of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni,” the group said in a statement. They also noted that Adly’s health has significantly deteriorated since his incarceration.
According to Progressi, it is important to advocate for Adly’s release because Italy has to do something to fight oppressive regimes and support human rights and diplomatic relations based on ratified international agreements.
Meanwhile, the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) has expressed serious concerns with the recent arrests and arbitrary detention of several Egyptian lawyers, human rights defenders, and journalists, including Malek Adly, Amr Badr and Mahmoud Al-Saqa.
According to the BHRC, “The arrest and detention of these individuals is part of a series of recent arrests made by Egyptian security forces against those who have criticised or protested against the decisions of the state.”
The organisation also questions the motivations for these arrests and their impact on the right to freedom of expression. Accordingly, the BHRC believes urgent steps are needed to restore confidence in the fairness and credibility of the Egyptian justice system. It calls upon the UK government to address these matters with the Egyptian authorities.
Adly was arrested in early May and faces charges of attempting to topple the regime, amending the constitution of the state, joining an entity that works against the government, and spreading false news about the recent maritime demarcation deal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia over the Red Sea islands.
Adly’s wife, Asmaa Aly, made a statement following her visit to Adly on Saturday. “38 days have passed since he was put in solitary confinement. Despite all the complaints,” she added, “nothing has changed.”
The prominent lawyer has been an active defender of human rights since 2008. He is also the co-founder of the Front of Defence for Egyptian Protesters (FDEP). Adly currently works as the head of the lawyers’ network at the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) and is a member of the freedoms committee at the Egyptian Social Democratic Party (ESDP).
