The Bahá’í International Community expresses its profound concern and deep disappointment at a recent ruling by Egypt’s Court of Cassation which, in overturning a prior judgment in favor of an Egyptian Bahá’í couple married for more than 45 years, risks closing any legal pathway for Bahá’ís in Egypt to obtain state recognition of their marriages.

The case follows the tireless efforts by representatives of the Bahá’í community for decades to address the longstanding denial of marriage registrations to Bahá’í couples. And in 2017, advised by officials at the Egyptian Ministry of Justice to take the matter to court, and that a favourable court ruling was the only available legal avenue to secure registration of marriages, multiple couples filed court cases. In 2020 the couple married for forty five years brought their case before the Family Court of Heliopolis in 2020 and a ruling was issued in their favor. At that time the court ruled that the state was obliged to recognize their marriage and to issue a certificate validating the union.

The Ministries of Interior and Justice then appealed this ruling—even doing so outside the legally-prescribed timeframe. When the appeal was dismissed on these procedural grounds, the case was escalated to the Court of Cassation, despite the Public Prosecutor’s recommendation that it be rejected. On 27 January 2026, the Court nonetheless accepted the case by determining that it pertained to “public order” and thereby overriding procedural considerations.

The Court of Cassation sided with the Ministries and ruled that the couple’s Bahá’í marriage could not be recognized by the state. The ruling risks setting a far-reaching precedent that in effect eliminates any remaining legal recourse for Bahá’í couples seeking state recognition of their marriages. Classifying such a matter as one of “public order” also raises serious concerns about ongoing and worsening religious discrimination against a peaceful religious minority that has been an integral part of the Egyptian society for more than 150 years.

The contradiction at the heart of this reversal also raises questions regarding the conduct of state institutions.

Why did officials of the Ministry of Justice first direct Bahá’ís to the courts as a remedy, only to then, in concert with the Ministry of Interior, seek a rejection of this judgement? The Ministries later also pursued similar cases affecting other Bahá’í couples. Their actions are inconsistent with the principles of legal certainty, due process, and the rule of law, and clash with Egypt’s constitutional commitments to equality and human dignity.

Nor is the ruling an isolated incident: it is part of an intensifying pattern. Since 2021, at least four Bahá’í families have seen their duly registered marital status arbitrarily reverted to “single” on their national identification documents, following administrative directives. Article 134 of the Notary Public Directives also continues to prohibit the registration of civil marriages between Bahá’ís conducted abroad.

If, as reflected in the Court of Cassation’s ruling, the state’s obligation to respect freedom of religion or belief is limited to the “three heavenly religions,” Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, what pathway exists for Egyptian Bahá’ís or any other minority religion or non-believer groups to seek their basic rights?

Egyptian Bahá’ís are an integral part of the fabric of the nation and supposedly equal under the law; yet today they are denied all of their basic rights, including the right to legally marry and to start a family.

How can enjoying basic civil rights depend upon an individual’s religion—rather than the principle of equal citizenship? Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has on many occasions affirmed in public statements these rights. But the lack of any alignment between these words, and the deeds of the Egyptian government, exposes the deep-rooted prejudice within the institutions of state which is most evident in the case of the innocent and persecuted Bahá’í community.

For decades, the Bahá’í community in Egypt has been patient, and has demonstrated a consistent willingness to engage in a constructive manner with authorities to pursue practical solutions to these problems.

In 2009, for instance, a court ruled that Bahá’ís could skip the “Religion” field on their ID cards and were assigned a “dash” (–) instead, to avoid discriminatory policies by errant officials or agencies. Bahá’ís were also assured on many occasions that issues such as marriage registration, access to burial grounds, and other essential civil matters, would also be resolved over time.

Yet the reality has been the reverse. The dash has become a negative brand—instead of a solution to the problem. The registration of marriages lingers in a legal void, Bahá’ís are forced to cram the remains of their loved ones into a single overcrowded cemetery, and the Bahá’í International Community is receiving a growing volume of reports indicating increased surveillance, harassment, and interrogation by security agencies, with some agents even threatening the friends and neighbours of Bahá’ís. All this points to a situation that is becoming worse—not better.

The consequences of these policies are severe and far-reaching. Without the legal registration of marriage, Egyptian Bahá’ís are denied fundamental rights, including access to pensions, inheritance arrangements, family registration, shared health insurance, spousal residency for non-Egyptian partners, and passing Egyptian nationality to the next generation. The right to establish a family—and to enjoy the legal protections associated with family life—is one of the most basic of human rights. Denying it to Bahá’ís in Egypt is a grave injustice intended to stifle the Bahá’í community’s very future.

The Bahá’í International Community acknowledges with appreciation recent statements issued by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and six United Nations Special Rapporteurs, along with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention who have condemned the Egyptian government's ongoing discrimination against Baha'is. These statements have been further reinforced by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom(USCIRF) and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR),  and the Bahá’í International Community values the continued support of many other Egyptian and international civil society organizations, who have stood in solidarity with the Bahá’ís for decades. Their engagement remains vital to the restoration of the basic human rights of the Egyptian Baha’is.

In its April 2026 country update on Egypt, USCIRF says “The Egyptian government’s policy on national identity cards continues to present civil and social barriers to members of the Bahá’í community,” adding that “Bahá’ís were excluded and not invited to participate in the government’s ongoing National Dialogue throughout 2025.”

The Bahá’í International Community, together with Bahá’ís around the world, calls on the Egyptian authorities to uphold their constitutional and international obligations. The government should establish a clear and equitable mechanism—such as the appointment of authorized notaries—to enable the registration of marriages for Egyptian citizens of the Bahá’í Faith. And then it must address each of the other concerns with all due haste.

Egyptian Bahá’ís do not seek special treatment: they seek equality and the full enjoyment of the rights afforded to all citizens in the country they call home.

For more information, please contact

• Saba Haddad, Representative, Geneva, [email protected], +41783082219 (English & Arabic)

• Rachel Bayani, Principal Representative, New York, [email protected],  +12128032519 (English, French, German)