مؤسسة سيناء لحقوق الإنسان - Press Release: Rights Groups Urge Italy To Stop The Deportation Of Mohamed Shahin to Egypt, Ensure His Right to Seek Asylum

02 Dec 2025

Press Release: Rights Groups Urge Italy To Stop The Deportation Of Mohamed Shahin to Egypt, Ensure His Right to Seek Asylum

02 ديسمبر 2025

13 civil society organizations call on the Italian government and the Ministry of the Interior to halt the deportation of Mohamed Mahmoud Ebrahim Shahin to Egypt, consistent with Italy’s obligations under international law and with full respect for the principle of non-refoulement.

Mohamed Mahmoud Ebrahim Shahin, an Egyptian citizen who has been living in Turin, Italy, for about 20 years, has been subjected to unjust legal proceedings that were influenced by evident procedural flaws since November 24, 2025. On the initiative of the Ministry of the Interior, Mr. Shahin's long-term European residence permit was revoked pursuant to Article 13, paragraph 1, of the Consolidated Law on Immigration (Decree No. 286/1998), which, together with subsequent amendments, introduces the possibility of expelling foreign nationals if they present a profile of social danger or constitute a threat to national security.

The claims made against Mr. Shahin in the expulsion decree include that he “belongs to an extremist ideology” as well as an accusation of “a roadblock” during a protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people in May 2025, which was the basis of validating his deportation order. In the decree, the Ministry of Interior also made an allegation that Shahin made a statement commenting on the 7 October attacks during another Palestine solidarity demonstration in Turin in October 2025.

After being held at a police station, Mohamed Shahin was transferred to the Repatriation Center (CPR) in Caltanissetta, far from his family, his community, and the lawyers working on his defense. His application for international protection, submitted following the revocation of his residence permit, was rejected after a heavily expedited review process, which was undoubtedly influenced by Egypt's classification as a “safe country of origin” by the Italian government, and failed to give due consideration to the risks Mohamed Shahin would face if deported to Egypt, a country where torture is endemic and the authorities subject people to arbitrary detention, unjust imprisonment following unfair trials solely for their political views.

“The Italian authorities must fully acknowledge the severe risks Mohamed Shahin would face if deported to Egypt. Proceeding with his deportation would place Italy in direct breach of its obligations under international human rights law. Italy’s treatment of Mohamed Shahin is another example of the global backsliding of the rule of law and human rights that we are witnessing. No State can credibly declare another country “safe for all”, as Italy does by classifying Egypt as a “safe country of origin”, and no State can simply bypass its fundamental obligations under international human rights law”, said Sayed Nasr, executive director of the association EgyptWide for Human Rights.

At the time of the revocation of his residence permit, Mohamed Shahin had no criminal record, and he was actively involved in the socio-cultural life of his city and of the Islamic community in Turin. In his role as imam, he was often a promoter of initiatives in the field of local interfaith dialogue, and in the context of demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people, he is remembered by local movements for his role as a mediator in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the demonstrations.

The inconsistency of the charges brought against Shahin to justify the expulsion proceedings issued against him pursuant to Article 13, paragraph 1, of the Consolidated Law on Immigration represents an alarming case of the instrumentalization of the law for repressive purposes and the repression of peaceful dissent through national security legislation.

“In the case of Mohamed Shahin, we highlight with concern the use of the expulsion decree and subsequent administrative detention in a Repatriation Center (CPR). This is an administrative procedure that does not offer the guarantees of defense guaranteed in criminal proceedings, while applying a very severe detention measure. All this is based on a suspicion concerning conduct that does not, however, constitute a criminal offense and on the basis of statements that were later reviewed and corrected. Foreign nationals are too often at risk of being removed from the social fabric in which they live, build relationships, and are an integral part of and deported from Italy instead of being offered the same guarantees which a State governed by the rule of law should offer to all. This is very concerning and detrimental to the fundamental rights of the individual," said Luigi Manconi, president of A Buon Diritto.

“If he were deported to Egypt, a country known for its propensity for torture and enforced disappearances, Mohamed Shahin’s life would be in danger. This is due to an unfair and disproportionate measure issued by the Italian authorities, the result of a repressive use of national security policies, a measure that we are calling for to be revoked,” said Riccardo Noury, spokesperson for Amnesty International Italy.

In recent years, the undersigned organizations documented cases in which Egyptian citizens returning from abroad, both voluntarily and as a result of repatriation procedures initiated by third countries, have been subjected to serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and torture or other ill-treatment for their actual or perceived criticism of the Egyptian government. Among those targeted were political opponents, university students, activists, and ordinary citizens with no history of political or human rights activism.

There is also a well-established practice by the Egyptian authorities of retaliation and intimidation against the families of political opponents, including arbitrary arrests and detention, unfair trials leading to unjust imprisonment, torture or other ill-treatment, and enforced disappearances. Given that the Egyptian authorities have previously subjected members of Shahin’s family to prosecutions for their political views, we believe that he is at real risk of human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, unfair trial leading to unjust imprisonment, enforced disappearance, and torture or other ill-treatment if forcibly returned to Egypt. Such risks would be further heightened by the Italian authorities designating him as a security threat or “social threat”.

Some of the undersigned organizations have expressed our concerns for the human rights violations that Mr. Shahin could be subjected to if he were deported to Egypt in a letter to the Italian President of the Council of Ministers and to the Ministry of Interior, which called to halt the deportation procedure and presented reports and documentation illustrating the seriousness and severity of such violations. Still, we have not received any answer to date.

We call on the Italian authorities, consistent with their human rights obligations, including the right of every person not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, the right to family privacy, and the principle of non-refoulement, to stop the deportation of Mohamed Shahin to Egypt and to guarantee his right to seek international protection in Italy.

Signatures: