The Freedom Initiative Reports: Abuse of Travel Bans to Silence Dissent

Under Egypt’s current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, authorities have turned increasingly to unlawful travel bans and travel-related restrictions to silence and control critical voices.

Although often regarded as a lesser violation, such restrictions can take a devastating toll on impacted individuals and should be understood as part and parcel of the larger crackdown on dissent under al-Sisi.

Those banned from travel are separated from family abroad, unable to pursue medical care, professional opportunities, or education outside of the country, and are trapped in an environment that is often rife with trauma – and where they face the constant threat of arrest or -re-arrest.

Because no laws explicitly govern travel bans in #Egypt, they are often applied arbitrarily and without recourse to challenge them. Many individuals reported discovering they had been banned from travel at the airport when they attempted to leave the country. Without any notice or prior knowledge, these targeted individuals were often monitored by Egyptian authorities and randomly stopped by airport security agents who unlawfully denied their right to freedom of movement.