Justice Observatory in Egypt from December 11 to December 17, 2023

Notice:

The lack of news in this issue is the result of the preoccupation of the executive and judicial authorities inside Egypt with securing and supervising the voting process in the presidential elections that took place inside and outside the country and ended on 12 December.

Summary:

1. State Security investigations continue into 18 citizens on charges of terrorism and spreading false news.
2. Renewing the detention of dozens of citizens in Sharqia, pending cases of the Supreme State Security Prosecution.
3. Cairo Criminal Court Terrorism Chamber acquits one citizen on charges of terrorism and committing forgery, in the case known in the media as the case of smuggling wanted persons from the airport.
4. Postponing sentencing session for Eng. Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi for the fourth time.

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- Detention Renewal:

Saturday 16 December

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber, renewed the detention of 11 citizen for 45 days pending investigations after accusing them of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and misusing social media. They are Muhammad Taha Othman Ali, Mahmoud Abdel Khaleq, Mahmoud Muhammad Al-Ashqar, Essam Muhammad Abdel Aziz Muhammad, Hassan Othman Al-Said Ali, Al-Said Ahmed Ali Abdullah, Abdullah Kilani Abdel Qader Abdel-Al, Al-Said Ali Muhammad Mansour, Khaled Ali Ahmed Faqous, Muhammad Ismail Muhammad Youssef Al-Naggar, Abdul Salam Tolba Muhammad Al-Sayyed, and Muhammad Mahmoud Muhammad Eqr.

 

Sunday 17 December

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber renewed the detention of citizen Mustafa Magdi Mohamed Hamouda for 45 days in Case No. 24699 of 2022, Zagazig, on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
2. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber renewed the detention of citizen Saleh Mohammed Saleh Hashem for 45 days in Case No. 48312 of 2022, Zagazig, on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
3. Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of journalist Muhammad Saad Khattab for 15 days pending investigations against him in Case No. 2063 of 2023, State Security, on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

3- Trials:

Thursday 14 December 

1. Nasr City State Security Misdemeanor Court – II postponed the sentencing session against Engineer Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi on charges of broadcasting and publishing false news and statements to the session of 18 January 2024.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II held in Badr Prison reserved the retrial session of one accused in the case known in the media as the Al-Muneeb Violence Incidents Case for the session of 10 January 2024.
3. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of one accused in the case known in the media as the assassination case of Major General Nabil Farrag to the session of 8 January 2024.

 

Saturday 16 December

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 43 defendants, in the case known in the media as Agouza Terrorist Cell case, to the session on 17 February 2024.

4- Judicial Rulings:

Thursday 14 December 

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II held in Badr Prison, acquitted one accused in his retrial in the case known in the media as the case of smuggling wanted persons from the airport on charges of forgery and joining a terrorist group.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II held in Badr Prison, ruled to punish 6 defendants with three years aggravated imprisonment and acquitted one accused in the case known in the media as the Imbaba Terrorist Cell case.

Legal Comment

While all Egyptian authorities, including security forces, judges, and the Public Prosecution, were busy supervising the voting in the Egyptian presidential elections, Supreme State Security Prosecution did not stop investigating dozens.

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.

The number of citizens arrested for crimes stipulated in the Terrorism Law issued in 2015 and amended in 2018 continues to increase, especially the crimes of spreading false news and rumors that are harmful to the country reputation and joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes.

Such are crimes that both the defendants and their lawyers are at a loss to know what they are, in light of the constant insistence of the investigation authorities on not implementing the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code in allowing access to the records.

The Public Prosecution used these broad and fabricated accusations as a pretext for ordering pretrial detention, which begins legally and then quickly turns into a punishment without a judicial ruling for several years.

 

Nasr City State Security Court – II continued to issue its decision to extend the sentencing period for engineer Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi on charges of publishing false news and data.

The series of targeting opponents of the regime with episodes of abuse continues after he wrote two articles on his personal Facebook page.

This brings back the scene of persecuting opponents to the policies of the current regime in trials that lack fair and just trial standards, solely for taking revenge rather than implementing  the rule of law.