Arrested Members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light Reappear in Egypt

CAIRO - April 23, 2025 - PRLog -- In a disturbing escalation of religious persecution, twelve members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) have reappeared in state custody after being forcibly disappeared by Egyptian authorities earlier this year. The arrests, carried out between March 8 and March 14, 2025, were part of a coordinated nationwide crackdown on followers of the minority faith following the public display of a religious banner in Giza.

During the raids, Egyptian authorities detained several individuals, holding them incommunicado without disclosing their whereabouts. Amnesty International promptly condemned the arrests in a public statement, urging Egyptian authorities to release the detainees unconditionally and respect the right to freedom of belief.

In the aftermath of this international pressure, the detainees resurfaced and were brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution. Authorities confirmed the names of those arrested and revealed that the number of detainees had risen from eight to twelve, indicating that additional members had been apprehended.

The five newly identified individuals are:

• Ali Al-Hadari
• Hamdy Abd El-Azeem El-Sayed Abdallah
• Othman Al-Gohary Othman Othman
• Ali Ahmad Mahmoud Shahat
• Mohammed Eissa Rashad Abdelraheem

All twelve detainees are currently being held at 10th of Ramadan Prison and are facing charges under Article 87 of the Egyptian Penal Code, which criminalizes membership in or association with an "illegal group."

Conditions inside the prison have been reported as dire, with allegations of maltreatment and denial of basic necessities such as food. Particularly harrowing are the reports concerning Hussein Al-Tawani, who has been subjected to torture intended to force him to recant his religious beliefs. Al-Tawani complied under duress to end the abuse but later reaffirmed his faith. He remains in custody and has reported ongoing torture, repeated interrogations, and death threats from State Security officers.

Authorities have also imposed a complete ban on family visits. Relatives of the detainees, including mothers and other close family members, have been denied access, and members of the faith across the country are being targeted, with arrests extending as far as Luxor.

These developments represent a grave violation of Egypt's constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and its obligations under international human rights law. The continued use of the penal code to prosecute individuals for their beliefs — rather than for any actionable offense — is a clear indication of systematic religious persecution.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light calls upon the international community, human rights organizations, and advocates of religious freedom to take urgent action and demand accountability for these abuses.

https://www.divinejuststate.com/post/arrested-egyptians-resurfaced-and-charged