BRUSSELS—29 July 2026—Parliamentarians from across Europe are “deeply concerned by the
treatment of Baha’is” in Egypt, according to a joint statement signed by 115 members of
European Parliament (MEPs) and national parliaments across Europe. The signatories also called
on Egyptian authorities to “fully uphold the freedom of religion or belief” in the country for
Baha’is, Coptic Christians and all religious minorities.
In the joint statement, the legislators note that Bahá’ís in Egypt “face extensive state-sponsored
discrimination and persecution”. They echo concerns recently raised by the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights and UN Special Rapporteurs regarding the denial of
fundamental civil rights, including the fact that Bahá’ís are “denied burial rights, depriving them
of their rights both in life and in death.” It also highlights barriers to obtaining mandatory
identity cards, the prohibition on registering Bahá’í marriages, and surveillance and harassment
by security services.
“We welcome this further show of support from parliamentarians throughout Europe and from
across party lines,” said Alessandro Benedetti, Representative of the Baha’i International
Community (BIC) to the European Institutions. “This statement is all the more powerful because
of its timing, as the European Union and Egyptian government deepen their connection. Baha’is
in Europe and around the world hope the Egyptian government will understand that the Baha’is
are a peaceful community, loyal to their country, and that they seek only the same rights as their
fellow citizens to contribute constructively to their society.”
While Egypt’s Constitution guarantees freedom of belief, the statement notes that persistent
failures in implementation leave both recognised and unrecognised religious minorities without
effective legal protection or the ability to freely manifest, change, or adopt their religion or
belief.
Earlier this month, Member of the European Parliament Nikos Papandreou, who met Egyptian
Bahá’ís during an EP delegation visit to Egypt, wrote in a Euronews op-ed that Bahá’ís in Egypt
“fall outside [legal] recognition altogether”, depriving them of fundamental civil rights and the
ability to live normal lives. He called on the Egyptian government to ensure that peaceful
religious groups enjoy equal legal rights, arguing that protecting minorities “strengthens social
cohesion.”
The EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Ms. Kajsa Ollongren, has also repeatedly
raised concerns about the situation of Bahá’ís in Egypt, stating that conditions had “deteriorated”
as authorities had “tightened restrictions”, including by refusing to recognise Bahá’í marriages.
For more than sixty years, since a presidential decree in 1960, Baha’is in Egypt have been barred
by Al-Azhar fatwas and government policy from securing new cemetery lands. Members of the
Baha’i community also face grave challenges in acquiring digital ID cards, needed to conduct
every aspect of life, because they cannot list their religion on the cards. A prior policy to place a
dash (-) on the card, in place of religion, which in theory should have helped Baha’is avoid
discrimination, instead became a marker leading to even more severe forms of persecution. And
Baha’i couples cannot register their marriages—an unjust policy that has led to some families
facing forcible separation.
“Egypt’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and belief, and even President Abdel Fattah
el-Sisi has said that the rights of all minorities in Egypt must be protected. Yet the Bahá’í
community continues to face restrictions that are difficult to reconcile with these commitments.
This comes at a time when leading countries in the region are steadily advancing policies that
promote coexistence, tolerance, and respect for diversity,” Mr. Benedetti said.
He added “Egyptian Bahá’ís seek only the same rights as their fellow citizens: to bury their loved
ones with dignity, register their marriages, obtain valid identity documents, and live in peace.
Ending these restrictions is not difficult and would not even require Egypt to change its laws. It
simply requires the government to honor its commitment to equality for all citizens and to
translate its leadership’s vision into tangible action.”
Author: Sanjeevni Today
Reporter
