Rights group raises concern over conviction of Egyptian economist News
Rights group raises concern over conviction of Egyptian economist

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Egyptian authorities on Wednesday to quash the conviction of prominent economist Abd al-Khaliq Farouk, who was sentenced to five years in prison on October 2 for articles and social media posts critical of the government and military. HRW described the conviction as a “violation of his free speech and due process rights.”

In its statement, HRW detailed severe due process violations, including denying Farouk’s lawyers access to his 500-page case file and prolonging his pretrial detention via remote hearing. Amr Magdi, senior Middle East and North Africa researcher, stated:

Prosecuting a prominent economist solely for his speech and analysis reflects the dangerous level of repression in Egypt today, casting economic research and intellectual debate as criminal acts. The authorities should immediately release Dr. Farouk, whose long imprisonment is just the latest case in which Egypt’s government makes a mockery of free speech guarantees and due process rights.

The statement comes ahead of Farouk’s appeal hearing scheduled for December 25. The economist was convicted by a misdemeanor court for “disseminating false news” under penal code articles 80(d) and 102 bis. The charge concerned his critique of Egypt’s economic policies, particularly concerning the military’s role in the economy, and allegations of corruption.

Egypt’s legal framework broadly criminalizes peaceful dissent, while Farouk’s defense argues that his work constitutes protected speech under international law. HRW holds that Egypt’s actions violate its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which guarantee freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial. They pointed to the UN Human Rights Committee’s authoritative interpretations of the ICCPR as underscoring that the limitations on Farouk’s speech are neither necessary nor proportionate. International human rights bodies have previously called attention to Egypt’s use of the judiciary to silence critics.

The appeal court’s verdict, the potential for further international diplomatic pressure, and the fate of other imprisoned critics, such as researcher Ismail Iskandarani, could influence developments in the case.

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