According to the Ministry of Interior, 573 individuals were killed across Egypt during various security operations and "preemptive strikes" against criminal hotspots between January 2025 and June 2026. These figures were released by the Ministry as part of its efforts to demonstrate progress in combating crime.

In 206 different official statements, the Ministry described the majority of those killed as "highly dangerous criminal elements," asserting that the deaths occurred during exchanges of fire initiated by the suspects. These reports typically concluded with the formulaic phrase: "legal measures have been taken."

The Ministry has failed to specify the nature of these measures. Furthermore, monitoring by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) confirms that no independent investigations have been announced into any of these incidents. Such inquiries are essential to determine whether lethal force was truly a last resort, if the deceased could have been apprehended alive, and to verify the official accounts of gunfire exchange.

While the Ministry’s statements do not inherently prove extrajudicial killings, they are equally insufficient as proof of legality. An account provided solely by the agency using lethal force cannot substitute for an independent judicial investigation—especially when such interventions result in the deaths of hundreds of individuals who were never afforded their day in court.

In 2025 alone, the Ministry announced 404 deaths across 146 statements. EIPR monitoring highlights that this figure is 17 times higher than the number of people executed following judicial sentences in the same year. Unlike those trials, the 404 deaths in 2025 and the 169 in the first half of 2026 were effectively closed by the state agency involved, without any public investigation to test the veracity of the official narrative.

The case of Youssef Al-Sarhani (18) and Farag Al-Fazari (21), who were killed by law enforcement in Marsa Matrouh last year, underscores the urgent need for scrutiny. This incident serves as a clear example of why independent investigations are required to determine if the Ministry is engaging in extrajudicial executions.

The two young men were killed in April 2025, following the deaths of three police sergeants during a pursuit in Al-Najila. Documented testimonies indicate that security forces had detained several local women without charge to pressure a suspect into surrendering; the women were only released after Al-Sarhani and Al-Fazari were taken into custody. Hours later, the Ministry declared them "highly dangerous criminal elements" killed in a shootout, though its statement failed to clarify if they fired first. Their lawyer noted that neither man had any prior criminal record or arrests. Notably, the primary suspect remains at large.

Despite the direct contradictions between official reports and family testimonies, no serious investigation has occurred. An independent inquiry is vital to determine the actual threat posed by the two young men to trained security forces and why lethal force was chosen over apprehension and due process.

EIPR fears these numbers will continue to rise. For over a decade, the Ministry has prioritized the "liquidation" of wanted individuals over their prosecution. This policy took root in 2012 when then-Minister Mohamed Ibrahim announced rewards for officers who killed "thugs" claiming self-defense. This approach openly flouts Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which enshrines the inherent and legally protected right to life.

In 2016, the UN updated the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death. This protocol serves as the global standard for preventing and investigating extra-legal, arbitrary, and summary executions, emphasizing the state's absolute duty to investigate any death involving law enforcement officials.

These international standards remain ignored by the Egyptian Interior Ministry. In 2025, a retired police general and former director of criminal investigation in Sohag confirmed his personal involvement in the "liquidation" of suspects, stating: "He had to die... I wouldn't take him to court." His statements directly violate the constitutional presumption of innocence (Article 96) and praise the wider adoption of these illegal practices by the Ministry.

Police Authority Law No. 109 of 1971 permits the use of weapons only as a last resort and under strict necessity, with the objective of arrest rather than killing. Article 102 stipulates that force must be proportional and used only when no other means exist. Furthermore, Ministerial Decree No. 156 of 1964 explicitly mandates that, whenever possible, officers should "aim at the legs" after issuing a warning.

Lethal force without criminal liability is only permissible under Article 8 of the Counter-Terrorism Law No. 94 of 2015, yet this cannot be applied to the vast majority of the 573 killings between January 2025 and June 2026, which were unrelated to terrorism. No other provision allows for such mass loss of life without investigation. Article 61 of the Penal Code regarding "necessity" cannot be used as a loophole to bypass judicial oversight; even cases of apparent self-defense require an independent investigation to ensure legality.

In his 74th Police Day speech, Minister Mahmoud Tawfiq cited a decline in crime rates in 2025—the same year security forces killed 404 people. This raises serious concerns about the Ministry's methods and the quality of police training. It calls into question whether officers are adhering to their legal and constitutional duties to respect human rights and procedural legality, even when confronting "dangerous criminal elements."

EIPR stresses that the deaths of over 570 people at the hands of a "civilian body"—defined by the Constitution as a servant of the people with a primary duty to protect lives—cannot go unexamined. The legality, necessity, and motivations behind these killings must be subjected to independent study.

EIPR reaffirms its call for an independent investigative commission to monitor police conduct and probe incidents of death and serious injury, a mechanism successfully adopted in other nations. We also urge Parliament to align Police Law No. 109 with the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms to prevent extrajudicial executions and amend the Counter-Terrorism Law to end impunity.

As part of the "Police for Egypt's People" campaign, EIPR proposed a draft law in 2012 to regulate the use of force in line with international standards. The bill emphasized the prohibition of lethal force and live ammunition in protests, prioritizing the principles of necessity and proportionality.

In November 2012, EIPR also submitted a proposal for an independent body to investigate police-related fatalities and injuries, whether in custody or public spaces. This commission would possess full investigative powers to bridge the accountability gap caused by the limitations of internal Ministry reviews and Public Prosecution oversight.

EIPR calls upon Public Prosecutor Mohamed Shawqi to launch formal investigations into the killings cited in official statements to uncover the truth behind the 570+ deaths over the past 18 months. We also urge Minister Mahmoud Tawfiq to immediately renounce the policy of "liquidating" individuals wanted by justice.