Human rights challenges in post-uprising Egypt: political actors’ reflections on the years of 2011–2013

Abstract

Transitional countries where authoritarian features have long been embedded in state institutions and policies face several challenges that limit their ability to meet the expectations of citizens regarding their rights. This article focuses on the development of human rights in transitional Egypt between 2011 and 2013. It illustrates how political actors perceive and critique the establishment of the legal and institutional framework regarding human rights protection, including constitution-making and transitional justice processes, providing evidence from insights obtained from semistructured interviews with Egyptian political actors and the analysis of secondary sources. The article demonstrates that the uprisings in 2011 and subsequent developments during the SCAF and Morsi governments show the failure of political actors to protect Egyptians' rights and meet the demands of the citizens with regard to social justice, economic opportunities, freedom, and dignity. It illustrates that weak or failing institutional capacities, an exclusive approach in establishing an institutional framework, lack of knowledge and experience concerning human rights protection, and the authoritarian features of state institutions strongly affected the promotion and protection of human rights in post-uprising Egypt.