Justice Observatory in Egypt from 28 July – 3 August, 2023

Summary:

1. Cairo Criminal Court Terrorism Chamber renewed the detention of dozens of citizens on charges of terrorism and spreading false news.
2. Supreme State Security Prosecution investigated 21 citizens, including a dentist who appeared after enforced disappearance for 4 years, accusing them of terrorism charges and terrorist financing crimes.
3. Four citizens from Al Sharqia are being recycled pending new cases after completing the procedures for their release.
4. The release of 24 citizens from Al Sharqia, after the completion of their release procedures.
5. Judgments of innocence and conviction from the Department of Terrorism in Sharqia Governorate.

Details

1- Arrest and Detention (enforced disappearance)

Monday, July 31, 2023

1. Muhammad Thabet Ahmed Ibrahim was arrested from his house in Darb Negm, Sharqia and taken to an unknown destination. He has not been presented to any of the investigation authorities so far.

Wed 2 August, 2023

1. Muhammad Gomaa al-Mahdia was arrested in Hihia, Sharqia, and he has not been presented to any of the investigation authorities so far.

2- Prosecution Investigations:

• Supreme State Security Prosecution:

1. The Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 21 citizens, including the dentist Muhammad Nasser Ragab Muhammad, who disappeared for nearly four years, and imprisoned them for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.

• Public Prosecution:

Monday, July 31, 2023

1. The Tenth of Ramadan Prosecution investigated 3 citizens;

Kamel Muhammad Ali Al-Attar

Ayman Abdel Aziz Gharib

Omar Muhammad Abdel Hamid Saleh

after arresting them from their homes at dawn and accused of joining a terrorist group and publishing false news and statements, and remanded in custody pending investigations.

3- Rotation Pending New Cases:

Saturday 29 July 2023

1. Al-Hussainia Prosecution in Sharqia investigated Mr. Thabet after transferring him pending a new case after issuing decision to release him from the Criminal Court on June 26, 2023.
2. Zagazig Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated Ahmed Kilani Gouda Kilani, after remanding him pending a new case, after issuing a decision to release him from the Criminal Court on June 26, 2023.
3. Abu Hammad Prosecution in Sharqia investigated both Muhammad Alaa and Muhammad Abdel Moneim, after transferring them to a new case after issuing a decision to release them from the Criminal Court on June 26, 2023.

4- Detention Renewal:

Sunday 30 July 2023

1. Cairo Criminal Court Circuit-III Terrorism in Badr Prison renewed the detention of dozens of citizens in pretrial detention pending cases. The cases numbers are: No. 316 of 2017, 1555 of 2018, 1006 of 2020, 1869 of 2021, 2056 of 2021, 2207 of 2021, 2467 of 2021, 2976 of the year 2021, 2993 of 2021, 4 of 2022, 85 of 2022, 305 of 2022, 440 of 2022, 583 of 2022, 670 of 2022, 907 of 2022, 1473 of 2022, 1634 of 2022, 1650 2022, 1960 to 2022, 2412 of 2022, 60 of 2023, 294 of 2023, 333 of 2023, 352 of 2023, and 392 of 2023 Supreme State Security.

 

Monday 31 July

1. The same circuit in Badr Prison renewed the detention of dozens of citizens detained in pretrial detention pending cases. Case numbers are No. 376 of 2012, 630 of 2017, 563 of 2020, 566 of 2020, 575 of 2020, 880 of 2020, and 955 of 2020 ( which includes photojournalist Hamdi Al-Zaim), case no. 960 of 2020, 1018 of 2020, 1058 of 2020, 1116 of 2020, 1196 of 2020, 65 of 2021 ( including activist Nermeen Hussein), 984 of 2021, 2121 of 2021, 2174 of 2021, 2185 of 2 021, 330 of 2022 (including human rights lawyer Youssef Mansour), 1576 of 2022, 1655 of 2022, 1940 of 2022, 88 of 2023 Supreme State Security.

 

5- Release:

Saturday 29 July 2023

1. Zagazig Criminal Court -III in Sharqia released Ahmed Farahat Salem in Case No. 2117 of 2021 for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.
2. The same circuit released Omar Tharwat Al-Bakri, Khaled Ali Abdel-Rahim, and Abdullah Essam with a guarantee of their place of residence in Case No. 1752 of 2021, Abu Hammad, for exceeding the maximum limit of pre-trial detention.

 

Sunday 30 July

1. Zagazig Criminal Court Terrorism circuit released Muhammad Abdullah Abdullah Al-Sadiq with a guarantee of his place of residence in Case No. 2103 of 2021 Zagazig Administrative.
2. Same circuit released both Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Maaboud, and Muhammad Ahmed Saber with a guarantee of his place of residence in Case No. 1504 of 2021.

 

Monday 31 July

1. Zagazig Criminal Court Terrorism Circuit released Gamal Abed Rabbo, Hosni Fathi, and Muhammad Abdallah, with guarantees of their place of residence, because they exceeded the maximum limit of pretrial detention, following their accusation of joining a terrorist group.

6- Set free:

Friday, July 28, 2023

1. The security forces in Sharqia released 14 citizens after completing procedures for the validity of their release, after obtaining an acquittal ruling from the Darb Negm Misdemeanor Court, in the session of July 26, 2023.

 

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

1. The security forces at Zagazig police station released 10 citizens;

Ayman Muhammad Abdo Muhammad,

Ahmed Awad Allah Al-Tantawi,

Ibrahim Ahmed Muhammad Ahmed,

Muhammad Attia Ibrahim Attia,

Abdel-Azim Muhammad Abdel-Azim Bunduq,

Khaled Thabet Muhammad Abdel-Moneim,

Salah Saber Salah Muhammad,

Abdel-Rahman Mohamed Kamel Abdel-Rahman,

Mohamed Sharif Youssef Mamdouh,

Ahmed Hamed El-Sayed,

after the completion of the procedures for the validity of their release, after the court acquitted them by Zagazig Misdemeanor Court, in the session of July 29, 2023.

 

7- Judicial decisions:

Saturday 29 July 2023

1. Zagazig Misdemeanor Court Terrorism Circuit, acquitted

Ayman Muhammad Abdo Muhammad,

Ahmed Awad Allah Al-Tantawi,

Ibrahim Ahmed Muhammad Ahmed,

Muhammad Attia Ibrahim Attia,

Abdul Azim Muhammad Abdul Azim Bunduq

in Case No. 12712 of 2023, Zagazig Misdemeanor, of the accusation of possessing inflammatory publications and publishing false news and statements.

1. The same circuit acquitted both Salah Saber Salah Muhammad and Abdul Rahman Muhammad Kamel Abdul Rahman, in Case No. 16182 of 2023, Zagazig Misdemeanor, of the charges of publishing false news and statements.
2. The same circuit sentenced Yasser Ibrahim Al-Sayed Ali to two years in prison in Case No. 14381 of 2023, Zagazig Misdemeanor, in accusation of publishing false news and statements.
3. The same circuit senteced both Al-Kahlawi Ahmed Attia Muhammad and Ayman Ahmed Attia Muhammad with two years’ imprisonment and acquitted Khaled Thabet Muhammad Abdel Moneim in Case No. 10761 of 2023, Zagazig Misdemeanor, in the accusation of publishing false news and data.
4. The same circuit sentenced Nader Ahmed Mohamed Hassan to two years in prison in Case No. 13176 of 2023 Zagazig Misdemeanor in the accusation of publishing false news and data.
5. The same circuit decided to punish Khaled Farouk Mahmoud Aliwa with two years imprisonment in Case No. 13418 of 2023, Zagazig Misdemeanor, in accusation of publishing false news and statements.
6. The same circuit sentenced Hamed Hussain Hammam Salah to two years in prison in Case No. 13914 of 2023, Zagazig Misdemeanor, in accusation of publishing false news and statements.
7. The same circuit senteced that Ahmed Fathi Atwa Ahmed Mostafa to two years in Case No. 14731 of 2023, Zagazig Misdemeanor, in the accusation of publishing false news and statements.
8. The same circuit acquitted Muhammad Muhammad Abdul Moneim Al-Yamani in Case No. 16238 of 2023, Zagazig Misdemeanor, in the accusation of publishing false news and statements.
9. The same circuit acquitted Fathi Abdel Hamid Abdel Maboud Attia in Case No. 912 of 2023, Zagazig Misdemeanor, in accusation of publishing false news and statements.
10. The same circuit acquitted Ahmed Hamid Al-Sayed, Muhammad Sharif Yousef Mandour, and Osama Al-Sayed Hussein Khalil, and sentenced both Ali Hassan Othman and Abdul Rahman Fathi, with two years in prison in Case No. 912 of 2023, the misdemeanor of Zagazig Misdemeanor, in accusation of spreading false news and information.

 

8- Legislations and decisions:

The Official Gazette, in its issue No. 31, published Decree of the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt No. 143 of 2023 regarding the approval of the agreement establishing the International Organization for Maritime Navigational Aids signed on January 26, 2022 in Paris, with reservations on the condition of ratification.

 

9- Statements and declarations:

Sunday 30 July 2023

The official Facebook page of the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior denied the existence of false messages issued by inmates of a reform and rehabilitation center about the conditions in the center, which would cast doubt on its work system.

 

Legal Comment

After an enforced disappearance that lasted for nearly four years, Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated the dentist Muhammad Nasser Ragab Muhammad, along with 20 other citizens, accusing them of terrorism and terrorist financing crimes, which are the crimes stipulated in the Anti-Terrorism Law. Supreme State Security Prosecution did not take actions regarding the dentist stroke about his enforced disappearance since his arrest in October 2019 after his arrest from inside the clinic where he works in Giza. The prosecution did not investigate the matter and did not consider the provisions of the Egyptian constitution, which is keen on the personal freedom of citizens either.

 

Terrorism circuits in criminal courts inside prisons continued issuing decisions to renew the detention of hundreds of citizens, without regard to the constitutional principle that set a maximum for pretrial detention under Article 143, limiting it to 24 months, and obligating the authorities concerned with investigating criminal matters to issue a decision to release those on precautionary detention exceeding two years.

 

The security forces in Sharqia disrupted the implementation of release decisions and rulings issued in favor of citizens and recycled them again pending new cases bearing the same accusations, after the National Security Agency detained them to entrench an obnoxious phenomenon to the judiciary, which is the phenomenon of recycling, and to prove to everyone the superior hand of the security services above the rights and freedoms of citizens.