Fatten Moghazi, student Mohammad Reda’s Mother: An Egyptian mother submits a complaint to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights demanding her son’s right who was killed in 2013. So far, justice has not been achieved.

March 21st 2019,

With the assistance of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), Ms. Fatten Moghazi, mother of Mohamed Reda, a student at Faculty of Engineering Cairo University, filed a complaint at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to settle the case of her son’s murder in November 2013 by the Egyptian security forces, within the campus of the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.

Mother’s Day 2019, Fatten Moghazi did not leave any opportunity to look for her son’s right.

The facts of the case go back to November 2013 after the overthrow of former President Mohamed Morsi, where many demonstrations broke out in squares and universities.

On November 28th, 2013, Cairo University students staged demonstrations in front of Cairo University’s gate in protest against the overthrow of Morsi, denouncing the application of the new protest law, and the arrest of many activists and students.

Security forces dispersed the demonstrations as they fired tear gas and live ammunition.

Student Mohammad Reda at that time was with other students inside the College of Engineering campus, about 100 meters away from the site of the Cairo University demonstrations where students of the Faculty of Engineering gathered at the gates and then they discovered it was closed.

Security forces moved in front of the Engineering College gate, then shots were fired at the students within the college campus – as stated and proven by many published videos – and Mohammed Reda was hit by three rounds of lethal cartridges of calibers 4 – 5 mms in the chest, back and pelvis. Such shots from a cartridge killed him according to a forensic report.

Since then, Mohammed Reda’s mother has taken all legal means to get her son’s right and accountability for the murderers, but to no avail. The Attorney-General ordered an investigation into the case, which lasted more than two years, and 4 individuals were arrested who were in the vicinity of Cairo University at the time and they were accused of killing student Mohammad Reda, but then a release for them was issued.

In December 2013, the President of Cairo University decided to establish a fact-finding committee to investigate independently the murder of Mohammed Reda. The Committee reached the conclusion that the death of Mohammed Reda came as a result of shots fired by the Egyptian security forces. The investigation continued for two years until January 16th 2016, when the case was closed on grounds of incomplete evidence and registered against unknown. Ms. Fatten Moghazi made several motions and even accused police personnel by their names and photographs so as to reopen the case but no one responded to her request.

Ms. Fatten Moghazi’s only resolve now is to address the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights because of the lack of seriousness in punishing the perpetrators and because the investigations were, according to the complaint, neither independent nor neutral, as throughout the two-year investigation, 4 men were arrested after the incident as suspects, while officials and security personnel of the Ministry of Interior were treated as witnesses rather than accused.

It is noteworthy that Egypt – Represented by President Abdel Fattah Sisi – is currently heading the African Union. Egypt is scheduled to host the next session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in April and May 2019.

ECRF sees that it is essential that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights consider the case of the murder of Mohammed Reda, as it is inseparable from events in Egypt that are being witnessed until now regarding the gross violations of human rights which is a violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, that was signed by Egypt and obliged to respect and apply its articles.

ECRF hopes that the complaint filed by Ms. Fatten Moghazi will lead to its desired outcome so she can get her son’s right, and to punish the perpetrators who deprived him of his most basic right, which is his right to life.