Mar 3, 2022

USCIRF Commends Release of Egyptian Religious Prisoner Reda Abdel Rahman

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commends the release of Egyptian Qur’anist Muslim Reda Abdel Rahman, who spent a year and a half in pretrial detention for his religious beliefs. On February 27, Abdel Rahman was released from the Kafr Saqr Police Station after the Zagazig Criminal Court ordered his release the week before.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see Reda at home with his family,” said Commissioner Sharon Kleinbaum who advocated for Abdel Rahman as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “I commend Egyptian authorities for rectifying this injustice and look forward to Reda and his family living in peace, free from harassment or prosecution for their religious beliefs.”

Egyptian security forces detained Abdel Rahman and several of his family members in August 2020, questioning him about his religious beliefs and his relationship with his uncle, Qur’anist scholar and former USCIRF fellow Dr. Ahmed Sobhy Mansour. Egyptian authorities released Abdel Rahman’s relatives after a few days but held Abdel Rahman incommunicado for more than 40 days. In October 2020, he appeared in front of state prosecution falsely accused of joining the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and “promoting religious extremism.” He was charged with joining a terrorist organization and spreading false news.

“The prolonged detention of religious minorities in Egypt  for expressing their religious beliefs and supporting religious freedom must come to an end,” added Commissioner Tony Perkins. “Egypt must continue to work to fully implement its commitment to ensuring equal rights and protections, regardless of religion or belief, including removing religion from identity documents and lifting the bans on specific religious groups like Baha’is and Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Although Egypt has taken positive steps towards improving religious freedom conditions in recent years—such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s public statements in support of religious pluralism, the renovation of religious heritage sites, and the passage of the 2016 Church Building Law—systematic challenges have hindered further progress. USCIRF’s November 2021 Egypt Country Update notes that Egypt’s blasphemy law, the slow implementation of the Church Building Law, and state-facilitated marginalization and discrimination of religious minorities remain ongoing obstacles. In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF continued to recommend that the U.S. Department of State place Egypt on its Special Watch List for engaging in severe violations of international religious freedom.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].

Gender: Female

Current Location: Bastar

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Adivasi

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: March/9/2021

Date of Release: January/5/2023

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Human Rights Work for Religious Communities Preserving Religious Sites & Sacred Lands Women’s Rights

Nature of Charges: Arms Trafficking & Illicit Use of Weapons Illegal Assembly Murder & Attempted Murder Public Disorder Terrorism

Hidme Markam

Extra Bio Info:

Hidme Markam was detained for her advocacy work to protect religious sites.

On March 9, 2021, authorities arrested Markam, an Adivasi Indigenous activist known for criticizing state violence against Adivasi communities and opposing mining projects on an important Adivasi religious site, at a two-day conference about women's issues in the region. Police referred to Markam as a "Maoist" and implicated her in several first information reports (FIR) stretching back to 2016 involving deadly violence, despite the FIRs not being made out against her and her constant engagement with state officials over the years.

Markam is reportedly charged with rioting (Sec. 147 IPC), rioting with a deadly weapon (Sec. 148 IPC), unlawful assembly (Sec. 149 IPC), murder (Sec. 302 IPC), attempted murder (Sec. 307 IPC), membership and support of a terrorist organization (Sec. 13, 23, 38(2), and 39(2) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)), "causing explosion likely to endanger life or property" (Sec. 3 Explosive Substances Act, 1908), "attempting to cause explosion, or for making or keeping explosive with intent to endanger life or property (Sec. 4 Explosive Substances Act, 1908), and "making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances" (Sec. 5 Explosive Substances Act, 1908).

In April 2021, seven UN human rights rapporteurs sent a letter to the Indian government, asking for more information about Markam's arrest and expressing concerns about the use of anti-terrorism charges against her and state-efforts to protect Adivasi women human rights defenders. 

On January 5, 2023, Markam was released from jail after courts reportedly acquitted her in four cases and granted her bail in one.

Publicly Available Information:

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: February/4/2022

Date of Release: November/23/2023

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Online Activity Religious Identity Reporting on Religious Freedom Conditions or Documenting Religious Freedom Violations

Nature of Charges: Aid & Abetment Defamation Hate Speech Murder & Attempted Murder Public Disorder Terrorism Treason & Sedition

Fahad Shah

Extra Bio Info:

Fahad Shah was detained for reporting on religious freedom conditions. 

On February 4, 2022, authorities arrested Shah, journalist and editor of the news website The Kashmir Walla, after he reported on a deadly police raid in Jammu and Kashmir, a Muslim-majority area. Reports indicate that police accused him of "uploading anti-national content" on Facebook.  The Kashmir Zone Police Twitter account accused Shah of "glorifying terrorism, spreading fake news & inciting general public" in three separate first information reports (FIR), arresting him under FIR 19/2022 of Pulwama. Shah was reportedly charged with public mischief (Sec. 505 IPC), sedition (Sec. 124A IPC), and engaging in unlawful activities (Sec. 13 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)) in FIR 19/2020.

On February 26, 2022, Shah was granted bail but was arrested again hours later in relation to FIR 06/2021 of Imamsahib, Shopian. He is reportedly charged with "wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot" (Sec. 153 IPC) and public mischief (Sec. 505 IPC).

On March 6, 2022, Shah was granted bail but was arrested again hours later in relation to FIR 70/2020 of Safakadal Srinagar. He is reportedly charged with rioting (Sec. 147 IPC), attempted murder (Sec. 307 IPC), abetment (Sec. 109 IPC), "printing or engraving defamatory matter" (Sec. 501 IPC), and public mischief (Sec. 505 IPC).

On March 12, 2022, it was reported that authorities dropped the rioting, attempted murder, and abetment charges against Shah. However, authorities also pressed additional charges against Shah under UAPA and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act.

On November 23, 2023, Shah was released from jail on bail after the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh found that the authorities did not have sufficient evidence to charge him under UAPA. Shah continues to face additional charges under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.

Shah is well-known for his coverage of the anti-Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) protests and the 2020 Delhi riots.

Publicly Available Information:
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