:Libya

منظمة تواصل لحقوق الإنسان Joins Nine Human Rights Organizations in Calling for Disclosure of Mahmoud Fathy and Hoda Anwar’s Fate and Whereabouts

منظمة تواصل لحقوق الإنسان has joined nine other human rights organizations in a joint statement condemning the continued abduction and enforced disappearance of Egyptian political opponent Mahmoud Mohamed Fathy, head of the Al-Fadila Party and founder of the Al-Umma Current, and his wife, Hoda Mohamed Anwar, following their lawful entry into Libya.

The signatories expressed grave concern for the couple’s lives and safety amid the absence of official information establishing their whereabouts and conflicting accounts concerning their fate.

Lawful entry followed by disappearance

According to the joint statement, the couple, who are Egyptian nationals holding Turkish nationality, arrived in Tripoli on 11 July 2026 from their residence in Istanbul, entering through official border crossings with valid visas. They were abducted on 19 July, after which all contact with them ceased.

The statement cites information from sources close to the family suggesting that the couple may have been forcibly transferred to Cairo. Other information indicates that they remain held by security bodies in Tripoli. Neither account has been confirmed, and neither the Libyan nor the Egyptian authorities has issued an official statement resolving their whereabouts.

Serious concerns for their lives and health

The organizations highlighted the risks facing Mahmoud Fathy in light of sentences imposed on him in absentia in Egypt, including the death penalty. They also warned of the danger to Hoda Anwar, whose health condition requires continuous medical care.

The statement describes the family’s repeated attempts to obtain information through the relevant Libyan and Turkish authorities and to secure assistance from lawyers in Libya, without receiving a response establishing the couple’s fate.

Calls for disclosure, investigation and protection

The signatories called on Libya’s Government of National Unity to disclose immediately the circumstances of the couple’s abduction, their fate and whereabouts, and the identities of those responsible. They demanded their immediate release if held by its agencies and an end to any forced handover that would expose them to serious harm.

They also urged the Egyptian authorities to disclose the couple’s place of detention if they are in Egyptian custody, provide urgent medical care to Hoda Anwar, and allow both individuals to communicate with their family and lawyers.

The organizations called for urgent intervention by the United Nations mission, relevant international and Turkish bodies, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish the truth and protect the couple from torture, ill-treatment and political retaliation. They emphasized the prohibition on transferring anyone to a country where they face a risk of torture.

The statement also expressed solidarity with Alkarama’s action on the case. On 2 September 2026, Alkarama urgently referred the couple’s case to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, requesting intervention to clarify their fate and whereabouts and ensure their safety.

منظمة تواصل لحقوق الإنسان’s participation reflects its commitment to protecting disappeared persons and their families, defending the rights to truth, justice and accountability, and opposing torture and retaliation against individuals for their opinions or political activities.

Signatory organizations: Justice for Human Rights (JHR), Alkarama, Free Voice, El-Shehab Center for Human Rights, Solidarity for Human Rights, Association of Victims of Torture, EFDI International for Human Rights, منظمة تواصل لحقوق الإنسان, CEDAR for Legal Studies, and Egyptians’ Rights Council.