“Violated Rights, Arbitrary Detentions, and Unjust Trials”
Justice for Human Rights (JHR) Statement
On the Occasion of International Workers’ Day – May 1, 2025
As the world marks International Workers’ Day in 2025, the occasion comes amid increasingly complex global and regional challenges. In Egypt, workers continue to face severe hardships that undermine their fundamental rights and human dignity.
Justice for Human Rights (JHR) expresses its deep concern over the continued violations affecting Egyptian workers. Despite constitutional and legal guarantees, documented reports indicate a steady decline in workers’ economic and social conditions. These include low wages, poor working environments, and the absence of safe and healthy workplace standards.
Most alarming is the rise in arbitrary arrests targeting workers and trade union activists, simply for demanding their legitimate rights or attempting to organize collectively in defense of their interests. JHR has documented multiple cases of workers and unionists being detained without due process as a result of peaceful labor activity.
These detentions have often led to unfair trials based on vague charges lacking credible evidence, raising serious concerns about judicial independence and the right to a fair trial.
JHR reiterates its solidarity with Egypt’s workers and calls for urgent reforms to uphold their rights, end repressive practices, and ensure justice and accountability.
JHR has documented numerous cases where detained workers have been charged with offenses such as “spreading false news,” “belonging to banned groups,” or “inciting protests”—all in the context of exercising their basic rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Recent months have seen a sharp increase in arbitrary arrests, particularly targeting workers engaged in peaceful strikes demanding fair pay or improved working conditions. Union leaders have also been detained following calls to organize actions defending labor rights; some remain in custody or face ongoing trials on dubious charges.
JHR underscores that freedom of association and union organizing is a cornerstone of workers’ rights and a fundamental tool for effective collective bargaining. However, independent labor unions in Egypt continue to face severe restrictions, undermining their ability to operate freely and advocate for workers’ interests. Creating an enabling environment for independent, empowered unions is essential for building a more just and equitable society.
JHR calls on the Egyptian government to take urgent and concrete action:
- Fully respect workers’ economic and social rights, including fair wages, decent working conditions, and protection against arbitrary dismissal.
- Immediately and unconditionally release all workers and union activists detained for exercising their legitimate rights.
- Remove all restrictions on independent labor unions and allow them to operate freely in accordance with international standards.
- Engage in serious and inclusive social dialogue with workers’ representatives and independent unions to address ongoing challenges and find sustainable solutions.
- Align national labor laws and union regulations with international human rights and International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions.
- Ensure accountability for those responsible for labor rights violations and bring perpetrators to justice.
- Disclose the actual number of detained workers and union activists, provide transparent information on the reasons for their detention, and guarantee fair and public trials in line with due process.
On this day, JHR reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with Egyptian workers in their struggle for justice, dignity, and rights. We remain committed to documenting violations, advocating accountability, and working in partnership with national, regional, and international stakeholders to uphold labor rights in Egypt.
Justice for Human Rights (JHR)
May 1, 2025