SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Learn more.

Date of Incident: October 11, 2014

Attack Types: Imprisonment

Institution(s):Al-Azhar University | Alexandria University | Cairo University | Damietta University | Helwan University | Mansoura University

Region & Country:Northern Africa | Egypt

New or Ongoing:New Incident

In the days immediately following the start of the Egyptian school year on October 11, 2014, Egyptian authorities reportedly arrested at least 110 students from universities around the country.   Many of these students were reportedly seized from their homes in pre-dawn raids, and were placed in detention for 15 days for investigation. According to reports, the majority of the students had been involved in on-campus protests prior to the start of the school year, challenging the rule of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, and demanding academic freedom and the release of other detained students.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about arbitrary arrest and detention of students in retaliation for their peaceful exercise of the right to free expression and association – conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with the exercise of such rights, so long as they are undertaken peacefully and responsibly.  In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, state actions limiting the rights to free expression or association have a chilling effect on academic freedom and university autonomy, and undermine democratic society generally.

Sources:

http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/10/18/58-student-protests-first-week-academic-year-democracy-index/
http://www.madamasr.com/news/student-union-denounces-govt-university-leaders-student-arrests
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/126999/news/70-students-arrested-in-2-days-democracy-index
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/14779-egyptian-security-raid-universities-and-arrest-dozens-of-students
http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/10/14/egypt-release-arrested-university-students
http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=56984&reloadFlag=1