Where Do the Disappeared Go? | The Walrus

"There is nothing more dangerous than an enforced disappearance. Think about the word for a moment: disappearance. Imagine waking up to find that a relative has vanished without a trace, or that you've been torn away from your family with no explanation. When you're disappeared, anything can happen to you, from verbal humiliation to physical torture or even death."

"In February 2018, security officials abducted me from the street after spying on my phone. They had targeted me because of my work as a journalist, and I was disappeared for just under two weeks. During that time, all I could think about was that my family needed to know where I was. The only thing that mattered was getting out of that underground cell."

"The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, adopted by the United Nations and in force since 2010, defines 'enforced disappearance' as any form of deprivation of liberty carried out by the state, or by groups it supports, during which the state denies responsibility."

Enforced disappearance represents one of the most severe human rights violations, involving state-sanctioned abduction where authorities deny responsibility for missing persons. The author, an Egyptian journalist, experienced a two-week enforced disappearance in 2018 after security forces targeted him for his journalism work. During captivity, the author endured psychological torment focused on family separation. The practice creates extreme danger as disappeared persons face torture, fabricated charges, or death while perpetrators evade accountability. The UN Convention on Enforced Disappearance, effective since 2010, legally defines this crime. Public disclosure of disappearances, despite risks, offers better protection than private negotiation with security agencies.

Read at The Walrus