Summary:
The arrest of 18 male and female activists during a vigil in solidarity with the women of both Palestine and Sudan in front of the United Nations (UN) office for Women in Cairo, and their release after paying bail.
Rotation of 28 citizens in Sharqia, to new cases by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, after the disruption of procedures for their release.
A final death sentence for 2 defendants in the case known in the media as the Specific Committees Cell case in Munufia.
The rejection of the appeal by Engineer Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi and upholding the 1-year suspended imprisonment on charges of publishing false news and data.
The release of 476 Egyptian prisons inmates as per Resolution No. 104 of 2024 regarding the pardon of some convicts who meet the criteria.
Renewal of the detention of hundreds of citizens in Supreme state security cases.
Ministry of Interior grants inmates 2 exceptional visits on for Sinai Liberation Day and Resurrection Day.
Details
Arrest and Detention (enforced disappearance)
Tuesday, 23 April
Security forces in Cairo arrested 16 citizens for organizing a protest in front of the UN women office in Maadi in support of the women of both Palestine and Sudan. They interrogated them, and the prosecution released everyone on bail between L.E. 5,000 – 10,000. They are Mahienour Al-Masri, Ragia Omran, Rasha Azab, Asmaa Naeem, Mai Al-Mahdi, Iman Auf, Lina Abdel Samie, Arwa Osama, Lubna Darwish, Hadeer Tariq, Farida Mustafa, Israa Youssef, Ruqaia Sirag, Yousra Mohi El-Din, Youssef Shaaban, and Mohamed Farag.
Prosecution Investigations
Supreme State Security Prosecution:
Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 24 citizens, and put them in pretrial detention for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.
Public Prosecution:
Zagazig Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated 5 citizens after arresting them from their homes, accused them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new, and then placed them in pretrial detention for 15 days.
Rotation Pending New Cases:
Prosecution in Sharqia investigated had the largest share this week rotating 28 citizens after disrupting the procedures for their release, and placed them in pretrial detention on the same previous charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
Detention Renewal:
Tuesday 23 April
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 441 of 2018, 1175 of 2018, 470 of 2019, 800 of 2019, 930 of 2019, 1450 of 2019, 1530 of 2019, 1781 of 2019, 570 of 2020, 580 of 2020 812 of 2020, 855 of 2020, 865 of 2020, 1017 of 2020, 915 of 2021, 991 of 2021, 2175 of 2021, 1 of 2022 (copied from 1269 of 2019), 440 of 2022, 1042 of 2022 (copied from 420 of 20 17), 1096 of 2022, 1394 of the year 2022, 1893 of 2022, 2 of 2023 (copied from 1660 of 2022), 1160 of 2023, 1977 of 2023, 2989 of 2023, Supreme State Security.
Wednesday, 24 April
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 316 of 2017, 1053 of 2020, 238 of 2021, including journalist Tawfiq Ghanem and human rights lawyer Said Khalaf, 1222 of 2021, 1391 of 2022, 1480 of 2022, 1691 of 2022, 2094 of 2022, 21 35 of 2022, 203 of 2023 260 of 2023, 294 of 2023, 333 of 2023, 352 of 2023, 2469 of 2023, 2526 of 2023, Supreme State Security.
Saturday, 27 April
Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber renewed the detention of 16 citizens for 45 days pending investigations, on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news. They are Omar Muhammad Abdel Wahid, Al-Said Saeed Al-Said Suleiman, Basil Shebl Abdel Aziz Gad Asker, Mustafa Yasser Mahmoud, Abdel Fattah Muhammad Abdel Fattah, Muhammad Magdi Abdel Wahab Muhammad, Ammar Jamal Al-Hadi Abdel Aziz, Omar Khaled Rushdie Muhammad, Muhammad Abdel Moneim Abdel Ghani Al-Assal, Islam Mahmoud, Abdel Hadi Kassab, Abu Zaid Muhammad Mohammad Salem, Muhammad Nasser Metwally Ali Abdel-Al, Omar Hassan Gharib Muhammad, M. Ahmed Murad Mahmoud Muhammad Hegazi, Mustafa Muhammad al-Arabi Abdel Motie, and Reda Ali Abdel Hamid Bayoumi.
Sunday, 28 April
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 900 of 2017, 1235 of 2019, 1270 of 2019, 1480 of 2019, 2007 of 2019, 335 of 2020, 569 of 2020, 577 of 2020, 615 of 2020, 984 of 2020 , 1022 of 2020, 1052 of 2020, 595 of 2021, 965 of 2021, 2013 of 2021, 41 of 2022, 94 of 2022, 1493 of 2022, 1516 of 2022, 1644 of 2022, 1910 of 2022, 2032 of 2185 Of 2022, 130 of 2023, 708 of 2023, 710 of 2023, 1001 of 2023, 1467 of 2023, 2125 of 2023, 2153 of 2023, 2727 of 2023, 3510 of 2023, Supreme State Security
Acquittal:
Monday, 22 April
Zagazig Criminal Court in Sharqia decided to acquit 36 citizens, with the guarantee of their residence, for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.
Saturday, 27 April
Zagazig Criminal Court in Sharqia decided to acquit Azmi Salim Salem, with the guarantee of his residence, for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.
Release:
Wednesday, 24 April
The security forces at Hahia Police Station in Sharqia released lawyer Saeed Al-Said Suleiman, after completing the procedures for the validity of his release by Zagazig Criminal Court last March.
Thursday 25 April
The security forces at Belbeis Police Station in Sharqia released 3 citizens, after completing the procedures for the validity of their release by Zagazig Criminal Court last March. They are Diaa Shaaban Suleiman, Ali Ali Abdullah, and Muhammad Abdel Hadi Metwally Salam.
Friday 26 April
Security forces at 10th of Ramadan Police Station in Sharqia released 3 citizens, after completing the procedures for the validity of their release by Zagazig Criminal Court last March. They are Shehta Anwar Ahmed, Shaaban Al-Ashri Abdel Moneim, and Ahmed Ibrahim Muhammad Murtagi.
Security forces at Al-Qareen Police Station in Sharqia released 4 citizens, after completing the procedures for the validity of their release by Zagazig Criminal Court last March. They are Muhammad Al-Said Ibrahim Al-Sabah, Islam Abada Muhammad Ahmad Al-Merhawi, Muhammad Salah Farag Morsi, and Muhammad Mahmoud Amin.
Security forces at 10th of Ramadan Police Station-I in Sharqia released Muhammad Abdullah Ahmed Gaafar, after completing the procedures for the validity of his release by Zagazig Criminal Court last March.
Trials:
Tuesday 23 April
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 4 defendants, in the case known in the media as Cabinet Incidents Case, to the session on 19 May 2024.
Saturday 27 April
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 2 defendants, in the case known in the media as Kerdassa ISIS to the session on 26 May 2024.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 73 defendants, in the case known in the media as 5th Settlement Cell to the session on 29 May 2024.
Sunday 28 April
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 111 defendants, in the case known in the media as Tala’i Hasm and Lewaa al-Thawra cases.
Judicial Rulings:
Wednesday 24 April
Nasr City Misdemeanor Court of Appeal, ruled to accept the appeal in form by Engineer Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi, as well as reject it in subject, upholding the 1-year suspended imprisonment on charges of publishing false news and data on charges of spreading fake news.
Saturday, 27 April
Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber in Sharqia ruled to acquit 18 citizens, and 2-years imprisonment for 4 others, on charges of publishing false news and data on charges of spreading fake news.
Court of Cassation, held at the High Court in Cairo ruled to reject the appeal from 2 defendants upholding the death sentence issued against them, accept the appeal from 4 others, and reduce the imposed sentence from death to life imprisonment in the case known in the media as the case of the Specific Committees Cell in Munufia.
Kafr Al-Sheikh Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber held in Wadi El-Natroun Prison, ruled to punish 1 defendant with life imprisonment and 15-years aggravated imprisonment for 4 others, in the case known in the media as the Al-Qaeda organization case in Kafr El-Sheikh.
Legislations and decisions:
Monday, 22 April
Ministry of Interior grants inmates in Egyptian prisons 2 exceptional visits on for Sinai Liberation Day and Resurrection Day starting from Saturday, 4/27/2024, until Thursday, 6/13/2024.
Legal Comment
Nasr City Misdemeanor Court of Appeal ruled to uphold the sentence against engineer Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi of 1-year imprisonment and suspend the implementation of the sentence on charges of publishing false news and data. The ruling relied on his publication of articles on Facebook entitled “When will they speak?” “Shame and dialogue” and “Everyone must be released, including the Muslim Brotherhood.”
The ruling confirms there is no room to express opinions freely inside the country, and expressing opinions may be the gateway to the prisons and the vicious cycles of imprisonment and oppression, in violation of the text of the Constitution, which guarantees and ensures freedom of opinion.
Supreme State Security Prosecution continues investigating dozens.
As Supreme State Security Prosecution investigated – during the newsletter’s coverage period – 24 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.
In investigating the citizens, the prosecution relied on the articles of the Anti-Terrorism Law, which gives the judicial officer the right to detain citizens under suspicion for14 days before presenting them to prosecution.