Activist Ahmed Kamal Faces Imminent Deportation: Human Rights Groups Urge Saudi Arabia to Intervene
Egyptian activist Ahmed Kamal's detention in Saudi Arabia raises international concern as fears of torture and persecution in Egypt grow.
Watan-The case of Egyptian activist Ahmed Kamal, detained in Saudi Arabia, has garnered widespread attention after more than 12 human rights organizations called on Saudi authorities to halt his forced deportation to Egypt. Kamal faces the risk of deportation based on an arrest warrant issued by Cairo, where he is expected to face torture and severe abuse due to his political activism.
Ahmed Kamal, 33 years old, was among the prominent activists who participated in protests against Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s coup in 2014. He was arrested and tortured in Egypt before being released on bail, prompting him to flee to Saudi Arabia in search of safety. However, in 2021, Egyptian authorities issued a 25-year prison sentence against him in absentia and submitted a request to Interpol for his arrest.
In October 2022, Kamal was arrested in Saudi Arabia for the first time and detained for three days before being released. However, in November 2024, he was re-arrested under a new Interpol warrant and has since been held in a prison in Jeddah. In a move that human rights organizations described as alarming, Saudi authorities transferred Kamal to a passport detention center, raising fears of his imminent handover to the Egyptian regime.
His American wife has expressed deep concern for his fate if he is deported to Egypt, asserting that he would face torture and persecution at the hands of Egyptian authorities. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have urged Saudi Arabia to refrain from deporting him, arguing that such an action would violate the principle of “non-refoulement” enshrined in the Convention Against Torture, which Saudi Arabia ratified in 1997.
Despite these calls, no official comment has been issued by Saudi authorities regarding the case, adding to the uncertainty surrounding Ahmed Kamal’s fate. Many fear that ignoring international appeals could result in his deportation, as numerous reports highlight the prevalence of torture and mistreatment in Egyptian prisons, particularly amid increasing crackdowns on dissent.
