Justice Observatory in Egypt from February 19 to February 25, 2024

Summary:

1. The release of journalist Lina Atallah with an L.E. 5,000 financial guarantee by Cairo Prosecution.
2. The release of publisher Hisham Qassem after 6 months imprisonment for allegedly insulting and defaming Kamal Abu Eita.
3. Death sentence for two citizens and life imprisonment for two others in the Al-Marg terrorist cell case.
4. The continuation of holding criminal trials before exceptional court chambers and inside prisons.
5. Cairo Criminal Court Terrorism Chamber continues non-stop to renew the pretrial detention of hundreds of citizens in State Security cases.
6. The arrest and enforced disappearance of 4 citizens in Sharqia.

Details

1- Arrest and Detention (enforced disappearance)

Monday, 19 February 

1. Security forces at the Ibrahimia Police Station arrested 4 citizen, Muhammad Ahmed Amer, Atef Amrullah Ali Saleh, Abdelnabi Muhammad Ahmed, and Mustafa Al-Said Ahmed Muhammad, from their homes and took them to an unknown destination, without presenting them to any prosecution body.

2- Prosecution Investigations

• Supreme State Security Prosecution:

1. Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 32 citizens, and put them in pretrial detention for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.

 

• Public Prosecution:

Monday, 19 February 

1. Ibrahimia Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated citizens Alaa Abdel Azim Al-Said, and Al-Shabrawi Muhammad Al-Shabrawi after arresting them from their homes, and accused them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new.

 

Tuesday, 20 February

1. Ibrahimia Prosecution in Sharqia investigated Siddiq Muhammad Ahmed Metwally, Gamal Al-Mungi after arresting them from their homes, and accused them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new.

 

Wednesday, 21 February

1. Hahia Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated Siddiq Mady Abdel Hamid Hassan Desouqi, Islam Mustafa Abdel Hamid, Said Farghali Al-Shaer, and Ashraf Ahmed Mohamed Shanab after arresting them from their homes, and accused them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new.

 

Thursday, 22 February

1. Zagazig Total Prosecution in Sharqia investigated Abdullah Muhammad Eid them from his home, put him in enforced disappearance for 15 days, and accused him of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new.

 

Saturday, 24 February

1. 10th of Ramadan Prosecution in Sharqia investigated Salem Mohammed Salem Mahmoud after arresting him from his home, and accused him of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new.

3- Rotation Pending New Cases:

Monday, 19 February

1. Abu Kebir Prosecution in Sharqia investigated Yasser Kloub after disrupting the procedures for his release by Zagazig Criminal Court., and placed him in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

4- Detention Renewal:

Tuesday 20 February 

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, in Badr Prison heard detention renewal sessions for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Cases No. are 1335 of 2018, 484 of 2021, 909 of 2021, 912 of 2021, 1983 of 2021, 1984 of 2021, 93 of 2022, 96 of 2022, 200 of 2022, 440 of 2022, 54 0 of 2022, 1635 of 2022, 1752 of 2022, 1977 of 2022, 191 of 2023, 330 of 2023, 392 of 2023, 641 of 2023, 716 of 2023, 1582 of 2023, 1977 of 2023, 2152 of 2023. 2153 of 2023, 2194 of 2023, Supreme State Security.

 

Wednesday, 21 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, in Badr Prison heard detention renewal sessions for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Cases No. are 759 of 2014, 722 of 2015, 148 of 2017, 700 of 2017, 444 of 2018, 1332 of 2018, 650 of 2019, 1413 of 2019, 549 of 2020, 867 of 2020, 9 69 of 2020, 1053 of 2020, 1107 of 2020, 755 of 2021, 911 of 2021, 2000 of 2021, 540 of 2022, 635 of 2022, 1095 of 2022, 2094 of 2022, 2515 of 2022, 60 of 2023, 258 of 2023, 294 of 2023, 440 of 2023, 931 of 2023, Supreme State Security.

 

Sunday, 25 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, in Badr Prison heard detention renewal sessions for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Cases No. are 689 of 2017, 623 of 2018, 640 of 2018, 1555 of 2018, 1358 of 2019, 647 of 2020, 649 of 2020, 680 of 2020, including journalist Medhat Ramadan, 1006 of 2020, 3 83 of 2021, 883 of 2021, 910 of 2021, 966 of 2021, 2055 of 2021, 2215 of 2021, 2556 of 2021, 2993 of 2021, 4 of 2022, 400 of 2022, 573 of 2022, 907 of 2022, 1 473 of 2022, 1539 of 2022, 1634 of 19 78 of 2023, 2064 of 2023, 2369 of 2023, Supreme State Security.

5- Release from court:

Tuesday 20 February

1. Cairo Appeals Prosecution Office at the Public Prosecutor Office in Cairo decided to release the editor-in-chief of the Mada Masr website, Lina Atallah with an L.E. 5,000 financial guarantee in Case No. 22 of 2023, on charges with two counts of publishing false news and running a website without a license.

 

Saturday, 24 February

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to release 65 detainees with guarantees of their residence, as they had exceeded the two years maximum limit for pretrial detention.

6- Release from police custody:

Tuesday 20 February

1. Cairo security forces released publisher Hisham Qassem after 6 months on charges of insulting and defaming Kamal Abu Eita and insulting public officials.

 

Wednesday, 21 February

1. Security forces at the Zagazig Police Station in Sharqia released Magdi Galal Muhammad Bayoumi after completing the procedures for the validity for his release by the Zagazig Criminal Court.

 

Thursday, 22 February

1. Security forces at the 10th of Ramadan Police Station in Sharqia released Ashraf Abdel Hadi Kassab, Nasser Muhammad Mohammad, Samih Ibrahim, and Rabie Hassan after obtaining an acquittal decision the on 18 February 2024 session.

7- Trials:

Monday 19 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –I, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant in the case known in the media as Downtown Incidents Case to the session on 16 March 2024.

 

Saturday 24 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 57 defendants, in the case known in the media as The Specific Committees of the Muslim Brotherhood case to the sentencing session on 14 April 2024.

 

Sunday 25 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 2 defendants, in the case known in the media as Qena ISIS to the session on 12 March 2024.

8- Judicial Rulings:

Monday 19 February 

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –I, held in Badr Prison ruled to punish 2 defendants with death by hanging, 2 others with 15 years aggravated imprisonment. It also ruled to include them on lists of terrorist entities, and 5 years police surveillance for 5 years. It ruled as well to acquit 1 defendant. All are in the case known in the media as the Al-Marg Terrorist Cell case.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –I, held in Badr Prison ruled to punish 1 defendant with 10 years aggravated imprisonment in the case known to the media as The Media Committees of the Muslim Brotherhood case.

 

Tuesday, 20 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –I, held in Badr Prison ruled to punish 1 defendant with life imprisonment in the case known to the media as joining Al Qaeda.

Legal Comment

Cairo Prosecution summoned for investigation, journalist Lina Atallah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr website, in Case No. 22 of 2023.

This case has been on hold since last year, a few days after the website published an investigative press report about the intrusion of businessman Ibrahim Al-Argani at the Rafah crossing.

This decision came as a clear message that the Egyptian authorities and government are targeting independent press institutions through the prosecution.

 

Zagazig Criminal Court in Sharqia decided to release approximately 68 citizens at once, after exceeding the maximum limit for pretrial detention.

The decision adds a glimmer of light, but the sword of rotation and enforced disappearance is still drawn

 

The release of Publisher Hisham Qassem after serving a 6-month prison sentence. The imprisonment was on allegations of defaming former Minister of Manpower, Kamal Abu Eita, and harassing and insulting public officials, in spite of unfair trial, as the court ignored the fundamental requests from his defense to unload the cameras of the Saida Zeinab Police Department.