Prominent Egyptian fugitive Mahmoud Mohamed Fathi Badr and his wife were detained by “Libyan authorities” in the late afternoon on 19 July at the al-Tawfiq Hotel in the Dahra neighborhood of Tripoli. The incident remains shrouded in mystery, as official confirmation from Libyan authorities is still pending and no specific entity has claimed responsibility for taking the couple into custody. While several news outlets described the event as a targeted security arrest, other sources have classified it as a disappearance, calling for the disclosure of their whereabouts and the protection of their legal rights.
On 21 July, leaders of the (Egyptian) Muslim Brotherhood announced that the ‘Dabaiba government’ had arrested an Egyptian national named Mahmoud Fathi, who is accused in the case of the assassination of the Egyptian attorney general.
The Al‑Shehab Center for Human Rights – an independent rights organization founded in Egypt in 2006 and now based in London – said it was deeply concerned about the 19 July arrest of Mahmoud Fathi and his wife in Tripoli, noting that all contact with them was lost and no Libyan authority has acknowledged holding them, raising fears of enforced disappearance. It stressed that Fathi, a ‘prominent Egyptian dissident’ facing multiple in‑absentia death and life sentences, would face a high risk of torture and an unfair trial if returned to Egypt, in violation of the non‑refoulement principle. The center urged Libya to reveal the couple’s whereabouts, allow communication with family, lawyers, and the Turkish mission, halt any deportation to Egypt, and open an independent investigation into their arrest.
Egyptian lawyer Khaled al‑Masri said Mahmoud Fathi’s name appears in nearly all major political cases he has handled over the past twelve years and that Fathi—already sentenced in absentia to four death penalties and dozens of life sentences—is considered Egypt’s top ‘most‑wanted,’ with media reports suggesting he was arrested in Libya and could be extradited unless Turkey intervenes, though Ankara has issued no statement.
In the evening of 21 July, Fathi’s wife was released from custody.
On 22 July, Alkarama, a Geneva-based human rights NGO, expressed grave concern over Fathi’s arrest and enforced disappearance. The organization noted that responsibility for his safety lies with the Libyan Intelligence Service, the Presidential Council, and the Government of National Unity. It highlights that Fathi faces an in‑absentia death sentence and multiple life‑imprisonment rulings in Egypt, where UN mechanisms have documented systematic abuses linked to counter‑terrorism legislation, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and violations of fair‑trial guarantees. According to Alkarama, extraditing him would therefore constitute a clear breach of Libya’s international obligations. It called on Libyan authorities to immediately halt any attempt to extradite or deport Badr or his wife to Egypt, to disclose his place of detention and end his enforced disappearance; to allow him contact with his family and a lawyer. Moreover, Alkarama demanded to open an independent investigation into the circumstances of the arrest. The organization states it will pursue the case through UN mechanisms to prevent any unlawful transfer.
On the same day, Mahmoud Fathi was reportedly extradited to Egyptian authorities.