The Al-Dostour Party said Friday night that party member Abdullah Massoud’s location has been unknown since 24 January, and accused security forces of holding him detained.
“Massoud was kidnapped by security forces affiliated with the Ministry of Interior as well as the National Security apparatus,” the party said in a press statement, alleging that he was taken near his work place in front of Carrefour market in the Maadi district in Cairo.
The party spoke of Massoud’s possible enforced disappearance after stating that there were no legal grounds or judicial arrest warrant against him.The party is one of a select few that have been outspoken regarding the condition of political detainees in Egypt, mainly due to having a dozen members behind bars, mostly youths.
Enforced disappearance has become a top priority for human rights defenders, NGOs and lawyers, having been recently addressed by the state-affiliated National Council for Human Rights (NCHR).
In December, the Ministry of Interior revealed the location of more than 100 citizens, for whom the NCHR has officially requested information about their whereabouts based on complaints they received from their families on “forcibly disappeared persons”. The ministry said most of the inquired about persons were in its custody pending different cases, or had disappeared of their own free will.
