Egyptian authorities have arrested at least 19 lawyers and rights activists, Amnesty International said, condemning what it called an "appalling setback".
The rights group called the arrests on Thursday "an alarming escalation of a crackdown on human rights workers" in Egypt.
"Today's chilling wave of arrests... is yet another appalling setback for human rights in Egypt," said Najia Bounaim, Amnesty's North Africa campaigns head. "Anyone who dares to speak out about human rights violations in Egypt today is in danger."