The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) welcomes the decision to release 10 non-Egyptian Shia Muslims who were arbitrarily arrested during a recent security crackdown targeting Shia Muslims in Egypt ahead of the Ashura holiday celebrations. 

At least 36 people, mostly Egyptians, have been detained pending Case No. 5635 of 2026 (Supreme State Security Prosecution) amid the security campaign.

EIPR considers the new releases a belated step toward closing the case, calling on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all remaining detainees and drop all charges against them. It also warns against any plans or steps to deport the released, one of whom is a registered refugee. Five others of the released could face threats to their lives and safety if they are returned to their home countries.

EIPR stresses that forcibly returning the two would violate Egypt’s international obligations under the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which prohibits returning refugees to places where their lives or freedom would be threatened because of their religious beliefs or other grounds specified in the convention.

Security forces launched a crackdown on Shia Muslims on June 22, 2026, detaining at least 36 people. Most of them were Egyptian, while the rest held various foreign nationalities. Some were arrested at their homes on June 22, while others were arrested during a religious gathering on June 24. Those arrested were forcibly disappeared and held incommunicado for around three weeks, with no access to their families or lawyers.

Among those detained is Haidar Qandil, a journalist at al-Dostour newspaper and a member of the Journalists Syndicate who was arrested on June 22 as he left his workplace in Dokki. The Supreme State Security Prosecution charged him with leading and financing a terrorist group, while the other detainees were accused of joining a terrorist group.

EIPR lawyers who attended the questioning of some of the detainees before the Supreme State Security Prosecution observed extensive scrutiny of their religious beliefs, convictions and practices, including their views on the Prophet Muhammad’s companions and family. EIPR stresses that this probing of religious beliefs flagrantly violates Article 64 of Egypt's Constitution, which guarantees absolute freedom of belief. EIPR reiterates its call to close this case and release everyone still detained in connection with it.