On the occasion of its 16th extraordinary session, held in July 2014, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) adopted two Resolutions condemning the persisting human rights abuses committed in Egypt. In its Resolution 287, the ACHPR expresses serious concerns over "the grave and rapid deterioration of the human rights situation in Egypt since the 2011 uprising, [in particular the] arbitrary detention, acts of torture and ill-treatment in detention centers, violations of rights of human rights defenders, sexual violence against women, violations of the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly and death sentences". The Commission calls upon the authorities to conform with their human rights obligations by upholding the right to fair trial, guaranteeing the right to peaceful protest, freedoms of association and assembly, by observing a moratorium on death sentences and executions and by investigating and prosecuting those responsible for human rights abuses. In its Resolution 288 , the Commission specifically condemns the "persistent and widespread sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence [...] against women in general and in particular women exercising their right to demonstrate" and calls upon the authorities to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and to guarantee victim’s right to reparation.
Both Resolutions echo the concerns and recommendations raised by FIDH in its open letter addressed to the Commission prior to its 16th extraordinary session. Since 2011, FIDH has been regularly documenting the human rights abuses committed in Egypt, including the prevalence ofsexual and gender-based violence . FIDH has been constantly calling upon regional and international institutions and human rights mechanisms - including the African Union and the ACHPR - to take appropriate actions to ensure that Egyptian authorities uphold their human rights obligations.