The UN human rights office has voiced concern over a recent wave of arrests of activists and bloggers in Egypt.
Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani says Tuesday the arrests indicate a "significant escalation in the crackdown against the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly."
She says arbitrary detention has become a "chronic problem" in Egypt.
Egypt has intensified a long-running crackdown on dissent since President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's re-election in March.
Among those arrested are blogger Wael Abbas, pro-democracy activist Shady el-Ghazaly Harb, young comedian Shady Abu Zeid and activist Amal Fathy. They face an array of charges, including disseminating false news and belonging to an outlawed group.
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