The undersigned organizations express their sincere condolences to the people of Marsa Matrouh governorate in Egypt for unlawful killings during the police pursuit of a suspect. Among the victims were Youssef Sarhani and Farag al-Farazi, relatives of the wanted person. The young men were killed after being handed over by local residents to security forces in exchange for the release of dozens of local women, used as hostages to compel the surrender of the wanted person. The organizations condemn the unlawful security practice of extrajudicial execution, which has become increasingly systematic within the Egyptian security forces, as documented by human rights organizations. The crime is always accompanied by impunity for perpetrators, under the pretext that it occurred under counterterrorism operations and exchanges of fire.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, when an exchange of fire broke out between police forces in the city of Al-Negaila in Matrouh governorate and a wanted man and his brother as the police attempted to arrest him to serve a life sentence for drug trafficking. This resulted in the deaths of three police officers and the escape of the suspects.
The state’s duty is to maintain security, and to further, respect human rights in the course of maintaining security. The morning after the incident, security forces arbitrarily arrested approximately 23 people – including women, family members, and neighbors of the accused. This mass arrest constitutes an act of collective punishment – an attempt to pressure the accused to surrender themselves, an allegation later denied by the Ministry of Interior in a statement. Following demands from the people of Matrouh for the release of the women, an agreement was reached to hand over the two young men, who are relatives of the accused, in exchange for the release of the women. On Friday, 11 April 2025, following the handover of the two young men, the Ministry of Interior announced in a statement that the two young men had been killed in an exchange of gunfire.
According to a witness to the incident, “one of the witnesses contacted officers from the National Security Department in Salloum to hand over the two young men in exchange for the release of the detained women. The two young men were to be questioned about the killing of three members of the security forces, and whether they were involved in the incident or not, and to be released if innocent, or punished, if they were involved. The witness stated that the two young men were innocent and had nothing to do with the incident. The witness handed over the two young men at the Kilometre 30 checkpoint before Salloum at 6:30 PM on Thursday, 10 April. Following the handover, the National Security officer contacted the witness, and the detained women were released. However, the witness was later shocked to learn that the two young men had been killed in an exchange of fire with members of the Ministry of Interior.”
The organizations call on the Attorney General to conduct a prompt, transparent, and impartial investigation into the murder of the two young men, and the arbitrary detention of dozens of women. Failure to hold accountable those responsible for these crimes in Marsa Matrouh governorate perpetuates a culture of impunity among security personnel there and facilitates recurrence of these violations, threatening peace in a community characterized by robust family and tribal ties.
The organizations affirm that the extrajudicial killing of Youssef Sarhani and Farag al-Farazi constitutes a grave violation of the right to life and the rule of law, violating as it does both the Egyptian Constitution and international law. The undersigned demand that this dangerous and systematic practice of Egyptian security forces be addressed, while rejecting the arbitrary detention of relatives or neighbors of suspects and their use as hostages to pressure the suspects into surrendering.
The city of Matrouh has a history of being site to extrajudicial security practices. In July 2023, an extrajudicial killing occurred, in which citizen Hafiz Hawiya Abd Rabbo Abu Bakr was shot multiple times and killed by a police officer. Following his murder, a number of residents gathered in front of the Sidi Barrani Police Station, where skirmishes erupted between them and police officers, which resulted in the death of a resident. Security forces arrested a number of residents and referred both the officer and residents to trial, which lacked fair trial guarantees. Court documents were inconsistent – one attributed the killing of the person to the officer, while the other accused several residents of the killing. The officer was acquitted, while the residents were sentenced to life imprisonment and aggravated imprisonment.
The organizations reaffirm their condemnation of the continued illegal practices of security personnel, including extrajudicial killings and the arbitrary detention of the relatives of suspects. We call on the Attorney General and the Ministry of Interior to conduct a prompt and transparent investigation into the incident without delay, and to publicly reveal the truth and hold the perpetrators accountable, ensuring that they do not evade punishment. We further demand the safety of the families of victims and witnesses, who should be compensated for the violations and damages they have suffered.
We, the signatories, demand the following:
- Open a prompt, impartial, and transparent investigation into the extrajudicial killing of the two young men, Youssef Sarhani and Faraj al-Farazi, and the arbitrary detention of their relatives, ensuring that all those involved are held accountable, regardless of their official positions. Extrajudicial killings and the policy of impunity must be put to an end.
- Completely refrain from taking as hostage family members and other socially connected persons as a means to pressure suspects, as this practice constitutes a grave violation of justice and human rights.
- Guarantee effective oversight of all places of detention and activate accountability mechanisms to prevent the recurrence of such violations, including by allowing independent human rights organizations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit detention sites.
Signatories:
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Committee for Justice
Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
EgyptWide for Human Rights
Egyptian Front for Human Rights
Egyptian Human Rights Forum
El Nadeem Center
Law and Democracy Support Foundation
Middle East Democracy Center
Refugee Platform in Egypt
