Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

Security forces dispersed pro-Morsi sit-ins at Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda in August 2013, killing hundreds. Human Rights Watch estimated that at least 817 people were killed at Rabaa in one day and described the events as potentially constituting a crime against humanity; years later, the absence of prosecutions of security officials continued to be denounced.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Institutional responsibility

Italian doctoral researcher Giulio Regeni was abducted, tortured and killed in Cairo in 2016. In Italy, four members of Egypt's security services were tried in absentia; prosecutors alleged that they participated in his abduction and abuse, while judicial cooperation between the two countries became a source of severe tension.

Person targeted by the proceedings

four Egyptian agents

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

In July 2026, Sisi ratified a law transforming the military organisation 'Future of Egypt' into a central economic authority reporting directly to the president, with extensive powers over land, companies, development zones and funds. The organisation already controlled activities ranging from wheat imports and lakes to real estate and renewable energy.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

In 2025, Sisi initially referred a disputed draft Criminal Procedure Code back to Parliament before signing a version in November that Human Rights Watch still considered insufficient to protect defence rights. During the same period, thousands of people were referred to criminal courts in so-called terrorism cases, often following lengthy pre-trial detention.

Attribution

Political responsibility

Human Rights Watch described the 2025 parliamentary elections as lacking genuine competition, with a dominant pro-Sisi list and numerous candidates excluded. The episode extends the controversy over the gradual closure of political space.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Indirectly implicated

Under Sisi, authorities used counterterrorism laws, terrorism lists, pre-trial detention and exceptional courts against a broad range of opponents, journalists and activists. Human rights organisations documented torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and unfair trials in this context.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Under Sisi, Egypt undertook extensive infrastructure development, including the New Administrative Capital, estimated to cost approximately $58 billion. Reuters linked the period to a sharp rise in debt, repeated devaluations, record inflation and criticism of the military's economic role and the priority given to major projects.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Legislation passed in 2024 expanded the military's authority over certain civilian security and governance functions, according to Human Rights Watch, extending a trend towards institutionalising military influence under Sisi.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Sisi won a third term with 89.6% of the vote. Human Rights Watch documented arrests, intimidation and onerous requirements before the election that limited meaningful political competition, particularly regarding Ahmed al-Tantawi's attempted candidacy.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

In North Sinai, authorities destroyed thousands of buildings and extensive agricultural land and displaced more than 100,000 residents during counterinsurgency operations. Human Rights Watch considered that some demolitions and evictions could amount to serious violations, potentially war crimes if the legal criteria were met.

State of the evidence

Alleged

Attribution

Political responsibility

In 2017, Sisi ratified an associations law widely criticised for restrictions on NGO funding, activities and operations. A new law adopted in 2019 removed certain criminal penalties but retained substantial administrative and security constraints, according to Human Rights Watch.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Constitutional amendments extended Sisi's current term and allowed him to seek another, while expanding the military's constitutional functions and changing the balance of judicial powers. Critics regarded the amendments as a lasting consolidation of presidential authority.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Videos by former contractor Mohamed Ali accused Sisi and the military of waste and corruption, particularly involving presidential palaces. Sisi rejected the substance of the allegations while acknowledging that certain palaces were indeed being built for the state. Rare demonstrations followed, and Amnesty International reported more than two thousand arrests.

State of the evidence

Allegations

Attribution

Institutional responsibility

The agreement recognising Saudi sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir triggered demonstrations, arrests and litigation. An administrative court initially annulled the transfer; Parliament subsequently approved it and Sisi ratified it, before the Constitutional Court ruled on the jurisdictional conflict.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Before the 2018 presidential election, several credible candidacies were blocked, withdrawn or followed by arrests, notably that of Sami Anan and other figures. Sisi won approximately 97% of the vote against a single challenger who had previously supported him.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

A decree issued by Sisi in October 2014 substantially expanded military courts' jurisdiction. Human Rights Watch subsequently documented thousands of civilians, including minors, being brought before military courts in cases extending beyond direct attacks on the military.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

As Defence Minister and head of the armed forces, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced on 3 July 2013 the end of President Mohamed Morsi's term and a political roadmap following enormous anti-government demonstrations. The episode is central to debate over the nature of the transfer of power, described by opponents as a coup d'état.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

As head of military intelligence and a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi acknowledged to Amnesty International that the military had subjected women detained after March 2011 protests to forced 'virginity tests'. He justified them as a way to protect the military against possible rape allegations, while promising that the practice would end.

State of the evidence

Admitted by the person

Attribution

Directly implicated

Person targeted by the proceedings

a military doctor

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted