The IRF Community and Africa Working Group circulated a letter in support of the release Yemeni Christian Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo. Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo, a refugee, has been arbitrarily detained by Egyptian authorities for over three years, enduring severe human rights violations. Arrested in Cairo in December 2021 without a warrant, Abdulbaqi has been held in poor conditions, denied due process, and subjected to mistreatment, including five months of solitary confinement. A husband and father of five, he fled Yemen in 2014 after his family faced deadly religious persecution. Despite his critical health conditions, including a heart ailment and high blood pressure, Egyptian authorities have denied him medical care, exacerbating his suffering. UN bodies have condemned his detention as arbitrary, and his family, now resettled in Canada, fears for his life. With Egypt's Universal Periodic Review approaching in January 2025, advocates urge the immediate release of Abdulbaqi under UNHCR oversight to reunite him with his family and demonstrate Egypt’s commitment to human rights.

Informative Sources:

• Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo Profile | USCIRF

• Egypt: Unjustly held Yemeni at risk of deportation: Abdul-Baqi Saeed Abdo | Amnesty International

• Christian Activist Detained in Egypt Starts Hunger Strike | ICC