CAIRO — Since May, the hashtag #Al-Ikhtifa_al-Qasri_Garima (#Forced_Disappearance_Is_A_Crime) has been filling social media pages, and blogs are documenting forced disappearance and arrests of young adults as part of security campaigns that started in May in Cairo and in other governorates. Over three months have passed without knowing the detention place or details about the victims.

Although the Egyptian police deny any arrest campaign, activists say the arrests are a bid to prevent protests and generally occur before important events, such as the anniversary of the June 30 Revolution or the inauguration of the new Suez Canal.

Islam Khalil disappeared more than 80 days ago, and his parents’ attempts to get any information about his detention place failed. A police unit arrested him with his brother and father on May 24 at dawn from their house in Gharbia governorate. The father and brother were released two weeks later as there were no accusations and the police did not refer their case to the judiciary. Khalil’s fate remains unknown.

Regarding the search for his brother, Nour Khalil told Al-Monitor, “We have so far submitted four reports to the public prosecutor and sent dozens of letters to Minister of Justice Ahmed el-Zend and Minister of Interior Magdy Abdel Ghaffar. But we haven’t received any responses, after having searched all the detention places in Gharbia and after the [Egyptian Interior Ministry] Prison Service asserted that Islam is not in any of its detention centers.”