Two young men vanish after claiming responsibility for viral protest against Rafah border closure
Egyptian security forces have been accused of forcibly disappearing two men believed to be involved in a shocking storming of a police station last week — an incident that has rocked the country and stirred new outrage over Cairo’s controversial Gaza policies.
Twenty-seven-year-old Mohsen Mustafa and his 23-year-old cousin Ahmed Sherif Ahmed Abdel Wahab haven’t been seen since July 25, the day they allegedly took part in a protest raid at the Ma’asara police station in southern Cairo’s Helwan district. That same day, a Facebook post appeared under Mustafa’s name claiming responsibility for the action. Hours later, his account vanished.
Viral protest, now a dangerous silence
Footage of the incident flooded social media, showing a small group of men, some masked, taking over the station and holding officers inside. The group, calling themselves “Iron 17”, demanded the reopening of the Rafah border with Gaza and denounced arrests of Egyptian activists collecting aid for Palestinians.
One short clip, widely shared on Telegram, showed Mohsen, unmasked, speaking directly into the camera: “We are Egyptians. We will not stand by while Gaza starves.”
Within 24 hours, the videos were scrubbed from major platforms. But the images — and the message — had already gone global.
Just one sentence here: Now, both cousins are missing, and their families fear the worst.
Who were the men behind the raid?
Family members and neighbors describe Mohsen and Ahmed as politically aware but never violent. Mohsen, a former engineering student, had been outspoken about Egypt’s foreign policy, especially in relation to Israel and Gaza. Ahmed worked as a delivery driver in Giza.
“They’ve never even had a fight on the street,” Mohsen’s uncle said in a brief phone interview. “We don’t know where they are. We only know they were taken.”
The Egyptian interior ministry has not confirmed any arrests. No formal charges have been issued. State media has been silent.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Watch MENA office posted on X: “Forcible disappearance is a crime. Egyptian authorities must immediately disclose the whereabouts of Mohsen and Ahmed.”
Cairo’s Gaza policy draws rare public defiance
The incident comes amid growing domestic unease over Egypt’s handling of the Gaza crisis. For weeks, the Rafah crossing — Gaza’s southern lifeline — has remained largely shut, with limited aid passing through under strict military control.
Cairo maintains it is working to ensure safe passage and prevent infiltration by Hamas fighters. But critics say it has buckled under Israeli pressure, effectively aiding the blockade.
Last week’s raid marks one of the rare moments when that frustration boiled over in public.
Here’s what we know so far:
• July 25: The Ma’asara station is stormed around 2 p.m. local time
• A group holds officers inside for nearly three hours
• The group posts a video blaming Egypt’s Gaza stance
• Mohsen posts to Facebook shortly after — then disappears
• Families report both men missing later that evening
“This is unheard of,” said a Cairo-based security expert. “You don’t just take over a police station in Cairo and walk away. The fallout is going to be severe.”
Protests abroad, silence at home
As expected, Egyptian state channels ignored the episode. But the world outside Cairo paid attention.
A protest in Berlin on July 25 featured demonstrators outside the Egyptian embassy. One protester held a sign with a cartoon of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s face, the word “criminal” scrawled in red across it.
In London, activists projected “Open Rafah Now” on the Egyptian embassy’s wall overnight.
Inside Egypt, however, fear rules. No major Egyptian media outlets covered the raid or the disappearance of Mohsen and Ahmed. The story spread mostly through encrypted platforms, independent Arab news outlets, and diaspora-led campaigns.
One small paragraph here: Even WhatsApp groups discussing the event have gone quiet in the past 48 hours.
Human rights groups demand answers
Multiple watchdogs have flagged the case to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, five organizations including the Cairo Institute for Human Rights and EuroMed Rights demanded Egyptian authorities “immediately confirm the location and safety” of the two men and allow them legal counsel.
“Enforced disappearance is routinely used in Egypt to crush dissent,” the statement said. “This case stands out because of its public nature and the risk of retaliation.”
What comes next — fear and speculation
The questions now are endless. Was the raid staged to provoke a crackdown? Could more arrests follow? Is this the beginning of a broader anti-Gaza blockade movement inside Egypt?
Nobody knows for sure. But one thing is clear: the silence around Mohsen and Ahmed is deafening.
A lawyer who has handled similar cases told Middle East Eye, “When people disappear like this, it’s usually a message. The message is: Don’t cross the line.”
