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July 08, 2025 – Egypt/Germany –
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the United Nations, human rights organizations, and legal experts are urging the German federal government to provide robust protection to exiled Egyptian journalist Basma Mostafa. Residing in Berlin since June 2021, Mostafa fled Egypt after three arrests over her investigative work exposing state violence, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
Despite having been granted asylum in early 2022, Mostafa remains under continuous threat. She has endured online gender-based harassment, physical assaults, and persistent surveillance by individuals allegedly connected to the Egyptian state. A notable incident occurred on July 18, 2022, when, during a protest in Berlin, she was verbally and physically abused—including being twisted, hit, and slapped—by assailants linked to the Egyptian embassy.
UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights flagged this as a case of “transnational repression” in their December 2024 communication (AL EGY 6/2024), noting sustained intimidation both online and offline. They urged Germany to investigate and ensure Mostafa’s safety. Germany’s former federal human rights commissioner, Luise Amtsberg, publicly condemned the pattern, asserting Germany “vehemently opposes transnational repression… completely unacceptable”.
A coalition of 25 international organizations—including CPJ, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, PEN America, and EuroMed Rights—similarly demanded that both Egypt cease harassment and Germany uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They called for investigations into surveillance, threats, misogynistic violence, and embassy involvement, as well as formal protection measures for Mostafa.
RSF and Germany’s TNR Coalition advocate for establishing a centralized national point of contact to document and respond to such cases, coordinating legal, medical, and psychological support for victims. With the G7 also pledging to address transnational repression in June 2025, momentum is building for concrete action.
Egypt, ranked 170th on the World Press Freedom Index, is identified as a leading perpetrator of this global pattern. Mostafa’s case exemplifies the broader struggle of dissidents silenced abroad. Activists stress that exile must equate to safety, not extended exposure to authoritarian harassment. They call on Germany to move swiftly from strong words to enforceable protection and accountability.
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