Mohamed El-Baqer is a former Nonresident Fellow at TIMEP focusing on the rule of law in the MENA region. He is an Egyptian lawyer and human rights defender. In 2014, he established the Adalah Center for Rights and Freedoms that focuses on criminal justice, student rights and academic freedoms, refugee and minority rights, and support for NGOs and human rights defenders’ initiatives. His dedication and impact have been recognized globally, earning him several prestigious awards. He received the 2020 Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe’s Human Rights Award for his role as a human rights lawyer, the 2022 International Association of Lawyers’ Award for his commitment to the rule of law, and the 2022 Ebru Timtik Award for promoting fair trials. He spent four years in prison in Egypt for his human rights work before being released in July 2023. El-Baqer hopes to resume his advocacy for the rule of law and his work to protect and empower rights, freedoms, and justice for all. You can follow him on Twitter: @MohElbaker.