Two young Egyptian men Mohsen Mohammed Mustafa and his cousin Ahmed
Al-Sharif detained a number of National Security officers for 5 hours
inside the headquarters of the Homeland Security branch in al-Maasara,
demanding the opening of Rafah crossing to save the people of Gaza from
starvation [photo credit: Telegram]
The Ministry of Interior (MOI) quickly denied
that any actual attack took place, dismissing the viral footage as a
fabricated ploy by Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated media. In a statement,
the ministry said the purported leaked documents from the security
branch “have nothing to do with reality” and announced that those who
produced and promoted the video were arrested for legal action. Despite
the official denial, an Egyptian human rights group
affirmed the video’s authenticity and voiced alarm for the two
protesters’ safety, urging their release and respect for peaceful
_expression_.
The Homeland Security documents, which appeared on Telegram, have also been confirmed to be authentic and include names of actual detainees and disappeared suspects.
Egypt has spent US$578 million on medical treatment for Palestinians
from Gaza since the start of Israel’s assault 21 months ago, Health
Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said in televised remarks on 29 July. The minister did not disclose how much money Egypt extorted from those Palestinians through Ibrahim el-Organi’s Hala Company.
Gaza’s Emergency Committee criticised Egypt on 30 July for its
handling of humanitarian aid through the Rafah Crossing, accusing
authorities of inflating aid delivery figures and blocking relief
efforts. The committee called for the immediate, unconditional opening
of Rafah, the removal of bureaucratic barriers, and transparency about
actual aid volumes. It also dismissed Egyptian claims of hundreds of
trucks entering daily, calling these numbers inaccurate and misleading.
The Egyptian Air Force resumed aid drops over Gaza last week with Israel’s approval.
Egypt was the leading Arab exporter of food products to Israel in
June 2025, with shipments valued at US$3.8 million, according to official Israeli trade data.
The bulk of Egypt’s exports—worth US$2.6 million—comprised vegetables,
fruits, and nuts, while other items included cereals, sugars, coffee,
tea, and spices. The total food exports from the Arab states to Israel
for the month reached US$8.16 million.
4 Die in Police Custody, Belqas Erupts in Protest
Last week, four men died in Egyptian police custody, sparking
protests and renewed scrutiny of detention conditions—raising the number
of deaths in Ministry of Interior (MOI)-run facilities to at least 25 since the start of the year.
In Belqas, Daqahlia Governorate, 21-year-old university student Ayman
Sabry died on 26 July after being held for a week without timely
referral to a prosecutor. His family and lawyer say he was tortured in custody—claims supported by visible injuries and corroborating eyewitness accounts. During a visit
shortly before his death, Sabry reportedly collapsed in front of his
family. Protests erupted outside the Belqas courthouse following news of
his death, with residents clashing with police and demanding
accountability.
Social media users accused
Major Mohamed Sadeq, the Belqas Criminal Investigation Officer, and his
informers, Hossam Maher and Belal Saad, of involvement in the killing.
The MOI denied
the torture allegations, stating that Sabry was legally detained over
drug and weapons charges and died of sudden illness after being
transferred to the hospital. The ministry claimed no foul play was
suspected and noted that the prosecution had ordered an autopsy and
authorised burial. But rights groups, including the Egyptian Network for
Human Rights, insist the state is covering up a killing under torture
and are demanding an independent investigation.
On 27 July, just a day after Sabry’s death, 25-year-old Karim Mohamed
Abdo also died in custody at the Saff police station in Giza. Rights monitors
say he was detained with his brother and held in “inhuman and
overcrowded” conditions, with rampant disease and drug abuse inside the
cell.
Farid Muhammad Shalabi, a 52-year-old teacher, died after weeks of enforced disappearance and torture
at a Homeland Security site in Kafr el-Sheikh. Arrested on 7 July in
Borg el-Arab, his body was returned to his family on 29 July without
explanation and buried at 2 a.m. under tight police control involving
five armored vehicles. Relatives say they were threatened into silence,
and the cause of death was officially listed as a stroke.
A young man, Abdel Rahman Ahmed Abdel Rahman, died in custody at the
al-Omraniya Police Station in Giza on 2 August, according to his family.
They alleged he was beaten and tortured during his detention. The
family also said Abdel Rahman had been calling them from inside the
holding cell, asking for money in exchange for stopping the torture.
Detainees Strike Over Torture, Transfers
Dozens of detainees at al-Wadi al-Gadid Prison have launched an
open-ended hunger strike to protest torture, abuse, and punitive
transfers, according to the Egyptian Network for Human Rights.
The strike began Saturday in Unit 4 in response to escalating
violations by the MOI. Many of the strikers were recently transferred
from prisons such as Badr 1, Badr 3, and Wadi al-Natroun, despite being
from Cairo and other governorates. Some have been held in pretrial
detention for over five years without trial, amid severe medical neglect
and absence of legal oversight.
Meanwhile, inmates at Badr 3 Prison
are enduring what rights advocates call a “slow death,” as a growing
hunger strike sheds rare light on the bleak conditions inside one of
Egypt’s most secretive facilities. Dozens of prisoners from the Muslim
Brotherhood and other groups have been denied sunlight, family visits,
and basic necessities since their 2022 transfer to the newly built
complex. Recent court sessions have seen prominent detainees—including
former ministers and MPs—plead for intervention, citing suicide attempts
and deteriorating health.
Despite widespread calls for relief and a rising number of partial and full hunger strikers, the MOI has dismissed
the reports as fabricated, even as one prisoner took his life in front
of a judge in mid-July. Instead of addressing demands, prison
authorities responded with collective punishment, cutting off water,
stripping cells, and blocking transfers to the infirmary to contain news
of the protest.
Urban Housing
A new report by fact-checking platform Matsada2sh has shed light on the massive disparities in compensation offered to residents displaced by the Ras al-Ḥikma megaproject on Egypt’s North Coast.
The UAE-owned developer Modon Holding, backed by Abu Dhabi sovereign
fund ADQ, recently launched the luxury “Wadi al-Tam” compound, marketing
villas priced between LE15.9 million and LE324 million (approx.
US$324,000–US$6.61 million). Meanwhile, the government offered locals
compensation ranging from just LE200,000 to LE300,000 (approx.
US$4,082–US$6,122) for their land. Based on the latest real estate
listings, this amounts to a 32- to 140-fold difference in land value.
Forced evictions began in 2018 and escalated in early 2024,
accompanied by heightened security presence and crackdowns by the
military. Despite government claims of “fair compensation,” many
families have rejected the offers and continue to protest. Critics say
the project exemplifies unequal development driven by foreign investment
at the expense of marginalised communities.
Members can leave comments about this newsletter on the Arab Digest website.