Justice Observatory in Egypt from February 26 to March 3, 2024

Summary:

1. State Security investigations continue into 18 citizens on charges of terrorism and spreading false news.
2. The rotation of 4 citizens, to new cases by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, after the disruption of procedures for their release.
3. The continuation of holding criminal trials before exceptional court chambers and inside prisons, away from the courts affiliated with the Ministry of Justice, in a continued violation of the principles of fair trial.
4. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber releases 50 citizens for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.

Details

1- Prosecution Investigations

• Supreme State Security Prosecution:

1. Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 18 citizens, and put them in pretrial detention for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.

2- Rotation Pending New Cases:

Monday 26 February

1. Abu Kebir Prosecution in Sharqia investigated Essam Muhammad Abdel Aziz Al-Qarnawi after his release, and placed him in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
2. Zagazig Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated Imran Muhammad Sobhi, Khaled Mansour Metwally, and Islam Sami Ibrahim after their release, and placed them in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

3- Detention Renewal:

Monday 26 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, in Badr Prison heard detention renewal sessions for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Cases No. are 977 of 2017, 441 of 2018, 1365 of 2018, including journalists Bahaa El-Din Ibrahim and Rabie Al-Sheikh, 706 of 2019, 535 of 2020, 970 of 2020, 1054 of 2020, 1000 of 2021, 2056 of 2021, 85 of 2022, 200 Of 2022, 440 of 2022, 2723 of 2022, 191 of 2023, 508 of 2023, 1001 of 2023, 1816 of 2023, Supreme State Security.

 

Tuesday 27 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, in Badr Prison heard detention renewal sessions for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Cases No. are 1430 of 2018, 311 of 2019, 750 of 2019, 467 of 2020, 585 of 2020, 1055 of 2020, 628 of 2021, 1987 of 2021, 1007 of 2022, 1540 of 2022 1645 of 2022, 2070 of 2022, 422 of 2023, 424 of 2023, 718 of 2023, 2390 of 2023, Supreme State Security.

4- Release from court:

Monday 26 February

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to release 12 citizens, with the guarantee of their residence for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.
2. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to release Ashraf Al-Said Qutb Ali, with the guarantee of his residence in Case No. 2693 of 2022.

 

Tuesday 27 February

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to release Yahya Ahmed Al-Zaki in Case No. 266 of 2021, and Ibrahim Mahmoud Ibrahim in Case No. 319 of 2021, with the guarantee of their residence for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.
2. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to accept the appeal of the detention order of citizen Ahmed Mahmoud Ali Muhammad, cancel it, and release him, for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.

 

Wednesday 28 February

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to release 19 citizens, with the guarantee of their residence for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.

 

Thursday 29 February

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to release 11 citizens, with the guarantee of their residence for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.

5- Release from police custody:

Tuesday 27 February

1. The security forces at Al-Qurain Police Station in Sharqia released Mahmoud Muhammad Elian, Shehab Al-Din Ramadan, and Abdul Rahman Mahmoud Bugga after completing the procedures for the validity of their release and the arrival of the National Security signal.
2. The security forces at Ibrahimia Police Station in Sharqia released Saeed Muhammad Abdel Hamid Ammar after completing the procedures for the validity of his release and the arrival of the National Security signal.

 

Wednesday 28 February

1. The security forces at Belbeis Police Station in Sharqia released Hossam Diaa Shaaban Suleiman after the arrival of the National Security signal.
2. The security forces at Hahia Police Station in Sharqia released Yasser Abdel Rahman Muhammad Okasha after completing the procedures for the validity of his release and the arrival of the National Security signal.

6- Trials:

Monday 26 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of 1 defendant in the case known in the media as Hadaeq Al-Qubba Incident case to the session on 10 March 2024.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of 73 defendants in the case known in the media as The 5th Settlement Terrorist Cell case to the session on 23 April 2024.

 

Tuesday 27 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of 6 defendants in the case known in the media as Kerdassa ISIS case to the session on 13 March 2024.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –III, held in Badr Prison postponed the sentencing session for 1 defendant in the case known in the media as Zaytoun Incident case to the session on 28 February 2024.

 

Wednesday 28 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 14 defendants, in the case known in the media as targeting Marg Church to the sentencing session on 27 April 2024.

Saturday, 2 March

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 5 defendants, in the case known in the media as Ismailia Terrorist Cell case to the session on 4 May 2024.

7- Judicial Rulings:

Wednesday 28 February

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, ruled to punish 1 accused with 15 years in prison in the case known in the media as Zaytoun Incidents case.

 

Saturday, 2 March

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison acquitted 5 defendants in the case known in the media as Helwan Specific Committees case on charges of joining a terrorist group, killing a citizen, kidnapping, and detaining another.

Legal Comment

The National Security Service in Sharqia continued to flout the provisions of the Constitution and the law. That was through the decisions to release 4 citizens after disrupting their release procedures from Zagazig Criminal Court and rotating them, so the prosecution detained them in pretrial detention on the same broad charges.

As Supreme State Security Prosecution investigated – during the newsletter’s coverage period – 18 citizens, and put them in pretrial detention for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group, based National Security reports. Those citizens include arrests and appearances from varying periods of disappearance.

Zagazig Criminal Court decided to release 50 citizens detained in pretrial detention in terrorism cases after exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention in Article 143 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

That decision came to shed light of hope regarding about the presence of judges who respect the legal text and try to apply it, amid the silence, support, and neglect of the agents of Attorney General; the prosecutors, who ignore the reports and statements from families regarding the disappearance of their loved ones.

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chambers, in Badr Prison, continued to renew the pretrial detention of dozens of citizens pending investigation by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, and on vague charges. Chamber III decided to continue the detention of hundreds of citizens including dozens who were in the demonstrations in support of Palestine, bearing in mind they were official entities that had called for such demonstration. The detention decisions were for 45 days without the release of a single citizen, in spite of absence of any legal grounds.

This confirms that authorities use pretrial detention to get rid of citizens, and it has transformed from being a precautionary measure for the benefit of the investigation into a tool of revenge for the benefit of the authorities.