Human Rights Watch: Egypt Continued to Curtail Freedoms Throughout 2025

Human Rights Watch said Egypt continued throughout the past year what it described as ‘tightening its grip’ on public freedoms, as criticism of the country’s human rights record continues to mount.

In a new report, the organization detailed how Egyptian authorities engaged in what it called ‘the systematic dismantling of fundamental freedoms and the suffocation of civil space’ throughout 2025, noting that this approach has permeated various aspects of public life in the country.

Human Rights Watch did not limit itself to the traditional rights issues of free expression and assembly, but also leveled criticism at the Egyptian government’s economic performance, accusing authorities of ‘falling short in their core duty to manage the economy in a way that meets people’s rights.’

Linking Freedoms to the Economy

This linkage between the tightening of freedoms and declining economic performance reflects a recurring theme in reports from international human rights organizations, which argue that the absence of political accountability negatively affects governments’ capacity to address citizens’ livelihood concerns.

The Egyptian authorities did not immediately respond to the report’s findings. Cairo typically denies similar accusations, insisting it is taking incremental steps to improve its human rights record.

The report comes amid sustained international scrutiny of the state of freedoms in Egypt, and repeated calls from human rights organizations to review policies governing civil society and public liberties.