Egypt illegally detaining activist, UN panel rules

British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah is being illegally detained in Egypt and should be released immediately, United Nations investigators have said.

- RACHEL CLUN

In a ruling from the UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), a panel of independent human rights experts found that Egyptian authorities have an obligation to release Mr Fattah immediately under international law.

In a legal opinion shared with Mr Fattah’s lawyers, UNWGAD requested that the Egyptian government “take the steps necessary to remedy the situation of Mr Abd el-Fattah without delay”.

The panel said: “The appropriate remedy would be to release Mr Abd el-Fattah immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.”