The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) calls on the Public Prosecutor to ensure the transparency, impartiality, and integrity of the investigation into the circumstances and cause of death of Ayman Ramzy at Rod El-Farag Police Station on 27 June. 

EIPR stresses that the investigation must not be limited to determining the cause of death, but must also include accountability for all those responsible for the series of violations to which Ramzy was subjected prior to his death. These violations include his arrest for expressing his religious views, his incommunicado and unlawful detention, his interrogation without legal counsel, and the failure to respond adequately to the deterioration of his health and the visible injuries he sustained while in custody.

EIPR notes that this incident requires immediate action by the Public Prosecution not only due to its seriousness, but also because it marks the second death involving a victim of the unprecedented security crackdown that has targeted -since September 2025- irreligionists, atheists, and those holding non-conforming religious views. Another detainee arrested as part of the same security campaign died in custody at the 10th of Ramadan Prison 6 in January in Case No. 6954 of 2025 (Supreme State Security).

According to EIPR’s documentation, Ramzy was arrested from his home on 1 June 2026, but did not appear before the Public Prosecution until 7 June. His lawyer discovered that the arrest report had been falsely dated 6 June 2026, five days after his actual arrest and enforced disappearance. Prosecution interrogation records reviewed by EIPR indicate that security forces arrested Ramzy over Facebook posts in which he expressed critical views regarding certain what he described as popular Christian religious beliefs, as well criticism of the drafting process of a new Personal Status Law for Christians.

EIPR learned that Ramzy was deprived of his right to legal representation during his first interrogation session before the Sahel Prosecution Office. He was charged with “leading a group established in violation of law with the purpose of undermining national unity and social peace”, as well as “exploiting religion to promote extremist ideas with the intent of contempt of ‘heavenly’ religions”. The prosecution subsequently ordered his detention pending investigation into Case No. 7847 of 2026 (Sahel Misdemeanors).

Ramzy was detained at the Sahel Police Station from the date listed on the arrest report and remained there for two days after appearing before the prosecution. He was subsequently transferred to the Rod El-Farag Police Station on the evening of 8 June, according to information obtained by an EIPR lawyer during a videoconference detention renewal hearing on 9 June.

During this hearing, the EIPR lawyer –a member of the defense team– noticed signs of severe fatigue on Ramzy, to the point where he was unable to stand or move without assistance. The lawyer insisted that his health condition be officially recorded in the hearing report and subsequently submitted a request on 13 June for Ramzy to be examined by the Forensic Medical Authority. However, the Prosecution did not respond to the request and also ignored the defense’s demands to review surveillance footage at the arrest location, as well as the request to summon witnesses from the detention facility. Instead, the Prosecution summoned Ramzy himself for questioning regarding the details of  his lawyer’s request.

According to a report dated 16 June 2026, reviewed by EIPR, Ramzy stated that he had fallen while entering the lavatory at Rod El-Farag Police Station, sustaining injuries to his head and left leg. He requested that the prosecution refer him to a public hospital for treatment, as he felt persistent dizziness and an inability to stand unassisted. On the same day, the prosecution ordered his referral to a public hospital the following morning for medical examination and treatment.

However, during the next detention renewal hearing on 23 June, Ramzy’s health  appeared to his lawyer to have deteriorated further. He asked the judge for permission to remain seated because he was unable to stand. The EIPR lawyer registered Ramzy’s health condition in the hearing records and reiterated the previous requests. Nevertheless, the court ordered the extension of Ramzy’s detention.

Until his death on 27 June 2026, there is no evidence to indicate whether Ramzy was ever referred to a public hospital, underwent the necessary medical examinations, or received the treatment his condition required. His family was not permitted to visit him while he was detained at Rod El-Farag Police Station before his death.

On the same day that Ramzy’s family was notified of his death and instructed to collect his body, the defense team filed Complaint No. 1139 of 2026 (North Cairo Online Petitions) demanding an investigation into the circumstances and cause of his death. On the same day, the prosecution heard testimony from the deceased’s brother under Report No. 2748 of 2026 (Rod El-Farag Administrative) and summoned for questioning fellow detainees held with Ramzy at the Rod El-Farag Police Station, as well as police officers stationed there. An autopsy was conducted on 28 June, with the forensic report to be issued at a later date.

Ramzy had previously been suspended from his job in 2014, and the Administrative Prosecution brought disciplinary proceedings against him for “directly promoting atheistic ideas through broadcast and print media” following an appearance on his religious beliefs on the television program Sabaya Al-Khair. The Administrative Prosecution referred the case to the Public Prosecution, which interrogated him on the same ‘charge’. The case remained pending, and his suspension continued until he requested expedited proceedings in 2017. After the Al-Marg Prosecution Office closed the case, the disciplinary court exonerated him.

EIPR emphasizes that responsibility for the safety of detainees lies entirely with the Ministry of Interior and police authorities from the moment of arrest. It calls for the prompt completion of the deceased’s autopsy report and its submission to the Public Prosecution to facilitate the continuation of the investigation. The organization also demands the preservation and examination of surveillance footage from both the Sahel and Rod El-Farag Police Stations to establish what occurred during Ramzy’s detention, the protection of witnesses who were held alongside him, and the criminal prosecution of anyone found responsible for his death, whether through deliberate acts or negligence and dereliction of duty, in order to uphold the rule of law and prevent impunity.

EIPR further reiterates its call for the immediate cessation of the ongoing and unprecedented security campaign against citizens solely for exercising their constitutionally protected rights to freedom of religion, belief, and expression. EIPR has documented the arrest of nearly 60 individuals at least since the beginning of last year as part of this unlawful campaign. These individuals were allegedly targeted for being atheists, irreligionists, holding particular religious beliefs, expressing non-conforming religious views, or changing their religion. Although some have since been released pending investigation, security agencies and the Public Prosecution continue to arrest and detain more citizens on the same grounds. The latest reported case involves a group of Shia Muslims whose place of detention remains unknown more than two weeks following their detention.