The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urged German authorities to provide protection to Egyptian journalist, Basma Mostafa, who reportedly faces surveillance, intimidation, and harassment by Egyptian officials on German soil. According to RSF, Mostafa has been a target of political repression by Egyptian authorities, an action that Anja Osterhaus, Executive Director of RSF’s German section, called “scandalous.”
Basma Mostafa, who has experienced multiple arrests over the past decade, fled Egypt in 2020 and is currently residing in Berlin, Germany. The UN Special Rapporteurs recently highlighted the ongoing issues facing Mostafa in a report dated December 23, 2024, detailing allegations of continuous surveillance and social media smear campaigns initiated by Egyptian authorities, compounded by physical assaults occurring during Egyptian President’s visit to Berlin in July 2022.
RSF underscored the UN Special Rapporteurs’ grave concerns regarding the alleged transnational repression, quoting their emphasis on the prolongation and repetition of harassment and intimidation faced by Mostafa. These acts appear to be retaliations against her professional role as a journalist and advocate for human rights.
Germany has consistently expressed opposition to transnational repression. Former German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights, Luise Amtsberg, articulated in April 2025 that Germany firmly deems such acts as contraventions of international human rights and sovereign state principles. Amtsberg noted the protections enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), particularly articles ensuring freedom of opinion, expression, and privacy.
The RSF called for Germany to translate its commitments into immediate action, ensuring a safe and secure environment for foreign journalists, human rights defenders, and dissidents who are threatened by their home governments.
For more details, please visit the JURIST website.