Military Judiciary and Final Verdicts
From the report "Military Trials and Counterterrorism Cases: The State’s Tools to Curb Political Violence in Egypt Since 2013"
In Egypt, civilians are referred to military courts, which operate outside the jurisdiction of the independent civil judiciary and issue final, non-appealable rulings—effectively denying defendants their fundamental right to a two-tier judicial process.
The report reveals that military courts have handed down dozens of death sentences and lengthy prison terms against civilians in trials that fail to meet even the most basic standards of justice. These proceedings often rely on unreliable security investigations and confessions extracted under torture.
According to the Egyptian Constitution and international standards, civilians must be tried before their natural judge, with the guaranteed right to appeal verdicts before a higher court— a fundamental right enshrined in Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The referral of civilians to military courts must end, and all defendants must be ensured the right to a fair trial before an independent civil judiciary, with full guarantees of their right to appeal verdicts to uphold justice.
Read the full report:
