Thirteen years after Rabaa massacre, families urge Egypt to free political prisoners

Thirteen years after Rabaa massacre, families urge Egypt to free political prisoners MEE staff on Sat, 08/15/2026 - 11:05 On 14 August 2013, Egyptian forces under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi killed at least 900 pro-democracy protesters Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, eastern France, on 17 June 2026 (AFP) Off The Families of Egyptian Detainees Association (Feda) on Friday called on the Egyptian government to release political prisoners on the 13th anniversary of the Rabaa massacre. Feda, which represents the families of political detainees held in Egypt, urged "Egyptian authorities to release those imprisoned in connection with the Rabaa events, as part of efforts to turn the page on this painful chapter in Egypt’s history". "Those who took part in a peaceful sit-in to express their views were transformed from victims into defendants and accused persons," the group said. "Large numbers were subsequently referred to trial, including 51 defendants in what became known as the 'Rabaa Operations Room' case and 739 defendants in the case concerning the dispersal of the Rabaa sit-in." On 14 August 2013, six weeks after then-Defence Minister Abdel Fattah el-Sisi seized power from Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian forces stormed Cairo's Rabaa and al-Nahda squares and massacred at least 900 pro-democracy protesters in one of the largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in the country's modern history. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The group added: "13 years after the tragedy that shook Egypt, we call for justice to be restored and for those still imprisoned in connection with the two Rabaa cases to be released as part of a sustained process leading to the release of all political detainees." Rights groups estimate that more than 60,000 prisoners of conscience are held in Egyptian jails, including more than 1,000 women. The