Update: Number of Missionaries Arrested in Egypt Rises to Seven

Weeks have passed since the arbitrary arrest of seven members of the faith community in Egypt. To date, their whereabouts remain unknown, and they have not been presented before a prosecutor. This constitutes a clear case of enforced disappearance under international law.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is deeply concerned for their safety and well-being. The families of the disappeared remain in anguish, unsure whether their loved ones are dead or alive. The lack of transparency and accountability in their detention is alarming and unacceptable.

Update 15th of March 2025 - Security forces conducted a raid on the home of the mother of Hazem Saied Mohamed Abd El-Moatamed, who resides in the 10th of Ramadan city. Hazem, a member of the faith and the brother-in-law of Omar Mahmoud, was present during Omar's arrest on March 10, 2025, and recorded the events that followed. After Omar's arrest, Hazem fled the scene. In an effort to locate Hazem and pressure him to surrender, security forces ransacked his mother's house. It's important to note that Hazem's mother is not affiliated with the faith. Following the raid, Hazem’s phone became unreachable. Hazem was staying in a separate apartment in the same city, alongside another member of the faith named Fadi Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Al-Nahhas.

Neighbors reported that security forces raided the house of Hazme and Fady at 7:50 pm on the 14th of March.

Update 13th of March 2025 - Egyptian security forces are relentlessly hunting down members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, arresting them one by one for nothing more than peacefully distributing flyers and banners in Cairo.

Last night, Mahmoud Ibrahim Mahmoud Al-Sharnouby, a father of four, was violently taken from his home in Shubra City. His house was ransacked, and his whereabouts remain unknown. His arrest follows a wave of detentions targeting the group, as authorities escalate their crackdown on freedom of religion and expression.

Egyptian authorities must immediately halt this campaign of repression and release all individuals detained solely for peacefully promoting their faith.

Update 12th of March 2025 - Egyptian authorities have escalated their crackdown on members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, with a fourth member arrested late on the night of 11 March. Hussein Mohammed Hassan Al-Tinawi, a Syrian national residing in Egypt, was taken into custody after distributing flyers and banners about his faith in Cairo.

His wife captured footage of the immediate aftermath of his arrest. Tinawi’s detention follows a series of raids targeting members of the faith, with four individuals arrested since 10 March for disseminating materials related to their beliefs.

Update 11th of March 2025 - In a further alarming development, two more members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, Mahmoud Abdelmagid and Al-Sayed Othman, were arrested in Cairo yesterday for peacefully distributing religious materials. An eyewitness informed us of their detention, but since then, both men have vanished without a trace. Their current whereabouts remain unknown, adding to the alarming pattern of enforced disappearances targeting members of our faith.

Omar Mahmoud was arrested yesterday, March 10, 2025, when security forces raided his home, taking him away in front of his wife and children. In the aftermath of his arrest, the authorities have now turned their attention to his brother-in-law, who courageously recorded footage of the raid. Now a wanted man, he has been forced to flee for his life. Meanwhile, Omar’s wife reports being under constant police surveillance, with officers searching her home once again. Her children are terrified, deeply affected by the ongoing harassment, while she remains in anguish, uncertain of her husband’s whereabouts and fearing for his safety.

10th of March 2024 -In the early hours of March 10, Egyptian authorities carried out a violent raid on the home of Omar Mahmoud, a dedicated member of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Omar, a father of four, was forcefully taken by police at approximately 7:00 AM, leaving his family in shock and distress. His home was ransacked, his belongings overturned, and his children left traumatized. His brother in law, in an act of immense courage, managed to capture the immediate aftermath on camera—footage that shows a police van driving away as the voices of crying children echo in the background.

This arrest follows an escalating campaign of intimidation and harassment against members of our faith in Egypt. In recent weeks, a group of around a dozen devoted believers had been peacefully distributing posters and banners across Cairo, courageously spreading the message of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Their mission was one of faith, nonviolence, and the fundamental right to religious expression.

However, Egyptian authorities responded with a heavy-handed crackdown. Over the last few days, police checkpoints were established around the locations where banners had been placed, and security forces began closely monitoring the streets. On March 9, a member of our community was detained by Egypt’s National Security forces for several hours before being released—an apparent ploy to track down others involved in the campaign. Omar’s arrest just days later makes clear that the authorities have no intention of stopping their persecution.

At this time, we have no information about Omar’s whereabouts. His sudden disappearance at the hands of security forces raises grave concerns for his safety, given the well-documented history of torture, enforced disappearances, and mistreatment of religious minorities in Egypt’s detention centers. His family has been left in anguish, with no knowledge of when or if they will see him again.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light condemns these egregious violations of human rights in the strongest possible terms. Egypt’s continued targeting of religious minorities stands in direct defiance of international law and its own constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. We call on Egyptian authorities to immediately disclose Omar’s location, ensure his safety, and cease the systematic persecution of our community.