The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Egypt this Tuesday to abolish its controversial "rotation" system, a mechanism that reportedly allows the extension of prison terms beyond their maximum limit arbitrarily. This practice is commonly used against perceived political adversaries including activists, protestors, lawyers, and journalists by charging them with new offenses as their release approaches, thus indefinitely prolonging their detention.

The rotation practice often involves accusations of very similar or identical nature under the broad and ambiguous Anti-Terrorism Law. The UN has repeatedly expressed concerns over this method and Egypt's anti-terrorism legislation, emphasizing that rotation breaches the "double jeopardy" rule which protects against being penalized more than once for the same offense.

Commissioner Volker Türk highlighted that the majority of individuals ensnared by this practice should not have been arrested initially. "The charges brought against them are frequently tied to their legitimate rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly... This practice has turned into a government tool for suppressing those deemed critical of, or in opposition to, its policies," Türk remarked.

A prominent case is that of Ebrahim Abdelmonem Metwally, a lawyer and human rights defender, who has been trapped under the rotation system since 2017. Metwally was apprehended in Cairo while en route to a UN meeting in Geneva, intended to address enforced or involuntary disappearances. Despite orders for his release, Metwally has been repeatedly recharged under the Anti-Terrorism Act, prolonging his detention and confining him to solitary at Tora prison. His plight has drawn international attention, with over 20 NGOs and the UN itself calling for his release, yet he remains one of many enduring similar circumstances.

The urgency of these calls to reform highlights a pressing need for legal and systemic changes within Egypt to align with international human rights standards. The global community watches closely as these demands for justice and respect for human rights continue to echo across diplomatic channels.