Human Rights Watch says Egypt has unlawfully prevented 'scores' of people from travelling

CAIRO – Human Rights Watch says Egypt has unlawfully prevented "scores" of people from leaving the country over the past year.

In a report released Sunday, the U.S.-based group says Egypt has blocked "leaders and members of political parties, youth activists, people associated with non-governmental groups," and a former aide to ousted President Mohammed Morsi.

The group says it documented at least 32 cases where security confiscated passports from activists and non-governmental organization workers. In many cases authorities have not returned the passports.

"The Egyptian authorities have jailed thousands of dissidents in the past two years and are now turning the country's own borders into de facto prison walls," Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director, said in the report.

Egyptian authorities did not immediately comment on the report.