Summary:

1. Student Mahmoud Hussein, known in the media as “The T-shirt Detainee,” arrested and taken to an unknown destination.
2. Activist Mohamed Adel sentenced to four years in prison by the Agga Misdemeanor Court on charges of spreading false news.
3. State Security investigations continue into dozens of citizens on charges of terrorism and spreading false news.
4. Renewing the detention of dozens of citizens pending cases of the Supreme State Security Prosecution.
5. The trial of publisher Hisham K assem postponed for a week and his pretrial detention continued.
6. In a leaked letter from Badr 3 prison inmates, they complain about the continuing disastrous conditions to which they are exposed.
7. Over the course of two days, the Ministry of Interior issues statements to deny allegations of poor conditions inside one of the correction and rehabilitation centers.

Details

1- Arrest and Detention (enforced disappearance)

Wednesday, 30 August

1. Security forces arrested the student and former prisoner of conscience, Mahmoud Mohamed Ahmed Hussein, who was detained for two years in 2015 for wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan “A Nation without Torture,” from a security checkpoint, claiming that there was a life sentence in absentia, and took him to an unknown destination.
2. Security forces at Kafr Saqr Police Station in Sharia arrested Citizen Ahmed Domma – at dawn – from his home and took him to an unknown destination. He has not been brought before the prosecution yet.

Thursday 31 August

1. Security forces at the Hahia Police Station in Sharqia arrested citizen, Muhammad Mahmoud Al-Hadi, from his home and took him to an unknown destination. He has not yet been presented to the prosecution. Friday 1 September

1. Security forces at Hahia Police Station in Sharqia arrested citizen Saber Muhammad Abdel Hamid Al-Saifi from his home and took him to an unknown destination. He has not yet presented to the prosecution.

2- Prosecution Investigations:

• Supreme State Security Prosecution:

1. The Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 35 citizens, and detained them in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.

 

• Public Prosecution:

Monday, 28 August 28

1. The Tenth of Ramadan Prosecution investigated 3 citizens;

Said Mohamed Mustafa Salam

Muhammad Abdel Moati

Mohammed Mouawad

after arresting them from their homes and placing them in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

Wednesday 30 August

1. Hahia Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated:

Ali Muhammad Imam

Ashraf Ahmed Muhammad Shanab

detained them in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

Thursday 31 August

1. Zagazig Public Prosecution Office investigated Citizen Ahmed Mustafa Ibrahim – after his appearance from a forced disappearance that lasted for 37 days – and placed him in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
2.  Ibrahimia Prosecution investigated Citizen Sami Mustafa Muhammad – after his appearance from a forced disappearance that lasted for 18 days – and placed him in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

3- Rotation Pending New Cases:

Saturday, 2 September

1. Supreme State Security Prosecution investigated Citizen Salah Siddiq Ramadan – following his arrest after obtaining a release decision from Zagazig Criminal Court in late August – and placed him in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
2. Supreme State Security Prosecution investigated citizen Siddiq Muhammad Al-Faramawi – after his arrest after obtaining a release decision from Zagazig Criminal Court in late August – and placed him in pretrial detention on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

4- Detention renewal:

Wednesday 30 August

1. The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of citizen Gamal Abdel Hamid Ziada, father of journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, for a period of 15 days pending investigations conducted against him after he accusing him of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and misusing social media.

Saturday 2 September

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Circuit-I Terrorism, in Badr Prison heard a detention renewal session for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases No. 2055 for the year 2021, 2064 for the year 2021, 2215 for the year 2021, 2739 for the year 2021, 5 for the year 2022, 40 for the year 2022, 93 for the year 2022, 200 for the year 2022, 1020 for the year 2022, 1635 for the year 2022, 1752 2, 1977 of the year 2022, 2514 of the year 2022, 330 for the year 2023, 510 for the year 2023, 641 for the year 2023, high State Security.

Sunday 3 September

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Circuit-I Terrorism in Badr Prison heard the renewal session of dozens of citizens detained in pretrial detention pending cases no. 759 of 2014, 722 of 2015, 444 of 2018, 1332 of 2018, 650 of 2019, 700 of 2019, 1413 of 2019, 549 for the year 2020, 867 for the year 2020, 979 for the year 2020, 1053 for the year 2020, 1107 for the year 2020, 755 for the year 2021, 2000 for the year 2021, 2515 for the year 2021, 540 for the year 2022, 635 for the year 2022, 9011 for the year 1095 of 2022, 2094 of 2022 2412 for the year 2022, 60 for the year 2023, 258 for the year 2023, 424 for the year 2023, 440 for the year 2023, high State Security.

5- Acquittal:

Wednesday 29 August

1. Zagazig Criminal Court in Sharqia decided to release 7 citizens:

Mahmoud Al-Sayed Al-Wahid

Shihab El-Din Hussein Abdel-Wahab

Abdel Moneim Al-Sayyid Morsi

Amir Taha Muhammad Amir

Zakaria Ahmed Abdullah

Muhammad Mahmoud Abdel Wahab

Abu Bakr Shawqi

With a guarantee of their residence in Case No. 1476 of 2021, Darb Negm Center, for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.

 

Thursday 31 August

1. Zagazig Criminal Court decided to release two citizens; Muhammad Abdullah Kamel Salim, Muhammad Al-Sayed Ali, with a guarantee of their place of residence in Case No. 2720 of 2021, Al-Qanaiat Police, for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention..

6- Release:

Thursday 31 August

1. The security forces at the Zagazig Police Station in Sharqia released the citizen Youssef Nabil Muhammad Abdel Qader after completing the procedures for the validity of his release following the implementation of the 10-year prison sentence issued against him in the case known in the media as the Al-Fath Mosque Incidents Case.

7- Trials:

Saturday 2 September

1. The Economic Misdemeanor Court postponed the first session of the trial of publisher Hisham Kassem on charges of insulting, defaming, assaulting a public employee, and misusing social media to the session of September 9.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Circuit-I Terrorism held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of one accused in the case known in the media as the case of intelligence with the terrorist Al-Qaeda organization to the session of November 4.

8- Judicial Rulings:

Thursday 31 August 

1. Hahia Misdemeanor Court of Appeal, Terrorism Circuit, ruled to cancel the prison sentence issued against Muhammad Salah Uddin and Adel Saeed, and again acquitted on charges of spreading fake news.

Saturday 2 September

1. Agga Misdemeanor Court sentenced activist Mohamed Adel to four years in prison on charges of spreading false news and statements.
2. Supreme Constitutional Court ruled to reject the case referred to it regarding the ruling on the constitutionality of the text of Article (95) of the human resources regulations of the General Authority for Educational Buildings , issued by the Authority’s Board of Directors Resolution No. 70 of 2018, as it did not include the obligation to notify the employee in writing before terminating his service due to his stopping working without permission.

9- Legislations and decisions:

Tuesday 29 August

The Official Gazette, in its issue No. 34 bis, published Decree of the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt No. 361 of 2023 renewing the assignment of Mr. Amr Adel Ali Hosni Ibrahim to act as Chairman of the Administrative Control Authority for a period of one year, starting from 8/30/2023.

10- Statements:

Thursday 31 August

1. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior denied, through its official Facebook page, what was circulated on a number of pages affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood regarding the start of implementing a new communications system, and that those discussions had previously been circulated in a number of countries several times starting in 2016.

Saturday 2 September

1. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior denied, through its official Facebook page, what it described as allegations from pages and websites loyal to members of the Muslim Brotherhood regarding the presence of night gatherings in one of the governorates, and indicated that the clip was old and had been circulated for several years.

11- Prison news:

Wednesday 30 August

1. The family of former parliamentarian Saad Amara announced the death of Suhaib Saad Amara inside New Valley Prison and buried him under heavy security after spending nearly 10 years inside prison.

Friday 1 September

1. A number of inmates at Badr Prison 3 leaked a letter, and Egyptian Network for Human Rights official Facebook page published it. In the letter, the inmates complained about what they described as the continued disastrous conditions to which they are exposed throughout the day and which the Ministry of Interior inflicts on them despite repeated promises to improve conditions.

Legal Comment

Security forces arrested student Mahmoud Muhammad Ahmed Hussein, known to media as the “T-shirt Detainee,” from a security checkpoint on his way back to Cairo, 7 years after his release in March 2016 in Case No. 715 of 2014, Administrative Marg. The arrest was allegedly because there was a sentence in absentia issued against him in a case for which he was released. After his arrest, he was taken to Hadayek October Gardens Police Station, then to Al-Ayat Police Station, then to an unknown destination, and communication with his lawyer and family was cut off. In addition, security forces raided his home in Obour City, which indicated that the arrest may be a new step to harass the student and force him into enforced disappearance.

 

In a new episode of abuse against the activist and member of April 6 Movement, Mohamed Adel, Agga Misdemeanor Court issued a 4-year prison sentence on charges of publishing false news and data in a trial that lacked all the standards and guarantees of a fair and just trial. The ruling against Adel comes to write an episode of abuse against the activist, after his continued pre-trial detention pending Case No. 4118 of 2018, Sherbin Administrative. Moreover, a decision was issued to detain him in pre-trial detention pending Case No. 467 of 2020, state security, which started with his release in the case in which he is detained, and the ruling comes after sentencing Muhammad Adel to nearly five years under pretrial detention pending cases.

In the first session of the trial of Hisham Kassem before the Economic Misdemeanor Court, which witnessed the confirmation of requests by the his defense (obtaining a copy of all the case papers including the report prepared by the officers and members of the Saida Zeinab Police Department, in addition to the surveillance cameras recordings in Saida Zeinab Police Department, his release and continuing the trial while he was released in particular). However, the court did not respond to the defense requests and issued its decision to postpone while he continued to be imprisoned in violation of the presumption of innocence, which indicates that the trial procedures will lack the standards of a fair and just trial and confirms that he was targeted because of his political positions and him practicing his right to express his opinion.

In leaked letters from Badr Prison, published Facebook page of Egyptian Network for Human Rights Foundation, the inmates complained about the poor conditions suffered by more than 500 inmates in Badr Prison 3, despite the fact that more than 4 months have passed since the inmates calmed the atmosphere in the hope of improving conditions in the prison, and despite the inmates submitting a petition to the prison administration protesting against the deteriorating conditions in the prison and the non-implementation of any of the promises that Interior Ministry officials swore to implement, the first of which was allowing normal visitations for all detainees in the prison, as well as exercising and outdoors walking.

The terrorism circles held throughout the week inside Badr Prison continued to renew the detention of citizens brought before them, pending Supreme State Security Prosecution’s cases, and the decisions came to continue the detention of all defendants for a period of 45 days pending investigations, giving a clear indication of the unwillingness to seriously put an end to the pretrial detention file.