Saudi Arabia to Deport Egyptian Dissident Ahmed Kamel Despite Risks of Torture

Human Rights Research Center

1 day ago4 min read

March 10, 2025

HRRC strongly condemns the unlawful extradition order against Ahmed Fathy Kamel Kamel by Saudi authorities. Sending him to Egypt, where he faces torture and political persecution, is a blatant violation of human rights and international law. HRRC urges the global community to take immediate action to stop this grave injustice.

Saudi authorities are preparing to deport Egyptian national Ahmed Kamel despite the imminent risk of his arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment in Egypt. An Egyptian citizen, Kamel was involved nonviolently in the Arab Spring protests in Egypt between 2011 and 2014. During the protests, he was shot twice, resulting in long-term health concerns, including embedded shrapnel in his body. He was arrested, incarcerated, and tortured during the 2014 demonstrations. After being released on bail, he fled to Saudi Arabia, where he has lived ever since. His wife and their two small children, ages two and ten months, are American citizens who have lived in both the United States and Saudi Arabia. In 2021, he was sentenced to 25 years in absentia, which is equal to a life sentence, for his role in the protests. Kamel remained politically inactive but was arrested in November 2024 following an Interpol Red Notice issued at Egypt’s request.

Although Interpol denied responsibility for the alert, Saudi authorities continue to insist it was the basis for his detention. Kamel has since been held at Shumaisi immigration detention center, with neither he nor his wife receiving any official documentation regarding his case. Rights groups warn that his deportation would violate the UN Convention Against Torture, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they may face persecution. Saudi Arabia, a signatory since 1997, risks international condemnation if it proceeds with the extradition.

Legal efforts to prevent his deportation have been obstructed. An Egyptian court issued a stay of execution in November 2024, confirming that Kamel should not be detained pending trial. However, the Egyptian consulate in Jeddah (a major city in Saudi Arabia) refused to accept the document, forcing his lawyer to seek validation from Interpol Cairo (capital of Egypt), which never responded. Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have declined to provide any official documents confirming his detention, making it impossible to reschedule his retrial date in Egypt. Without rescheduling, there is a risk that his 25-year sentence could be reinstated in absentia.

Kamel’s case highlights concerns over the growing trend of politically motivated extraditions facilitated by the Arab Interior Ministers Council (AIMC), often under the guise of Interpol Red Notices. His wife has urged urgent intervention to stop the deportation, emphasizing that he has lived legally in Saudi Arabia for nearly a decade without committing any crime. Human rights advocates call on Saudi authorities to release Kamel immediately and end the practice of forced deportations that endanger political dissidents.

His case is a blatant violation of international law. The forced deportation of individuals to countries where they face credible risks of torture or persecution is a grave violation of the principle of non-refoulement, a foundational tenet of international human rights law. This concept is established in the 1984 Convention Against Torture, which explicitly prevents any state from returning persons to countries where they might be tortured. The convention's Article 3 provides: "No State Party shall expel, return, or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture." Furthermore, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects people against cruel or degrading treatment, making deportation to such conditions a punishable offense. In 2024, UN human rights experts highlighted the "concerning trend" of human rights violations in Egypt, including torture and ill-treatment, "with the apparent purpose of stifling dissent, criticism, and opposition".

Ahmed's deportation would make Saudi Arabia responsible for the atrocities that await him in Egypt, a country with a long history of human rights violations, including torture, arbitrary incarceration, and politically motivated prosecution. The international community must act quickly to avert this humanitarian calamity. The United Nations, human rights groups, and worldwide campaigners must put pressure on Saudi authorities to follow international law and end this illegal extradition.

Glossary

Absentia – When someone is not present, especially in a legal case.
Arbitrary – Done without reason or fairness.
Arrested – Taken by the police or authorities.
Atrocities – Extremely cruel or violent acts.
Bail – Money paid to get out of jail until a trial.
Blatant – Very obvious, without shame.
Calamity – A big disaster or tragedy.
Condemnation – Strong disapproval or criticism.
Deportation – Forcing someone to leave a country.
Extradite – Sending someone accused of a crime to another country for trial.
Extradition – The process of sending someone to another country for trial.
Expel – To force someone to leave a place.
Grave – Very serious or dangerous.
Imminent – About to happen very soon.
Immigration – Moving to a new country to live there.
Incarcerated – Put in jail or prison.
Interpol – International police organization.
Non-refoulement – A rule that says refugees should not be sent back in case of torture on their return.
Obstructed – Blocked or made difficult.
Prohibit – To officially stop or forbid something.
Reinstated – Brought back to its previous state.
Retrial date – The new date for another trial in court.
Shrapnel – Small sharp pieces from an explosion.
Stifling dissent – Stopping people from expressing different opinions.
Substantial – Large or important.
Validation – Confirming that something is correct or true.
Violations – Breaking rules, laws, or rights.

Sources

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Saudi Arabia to Deport Egyptian Dissident Ahmed Kamel Despite Risks of Torture

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