Justice Observatory in Egypt from November 6 to November 12, 2023

Summary:

1. Holding the first hearing of Ahmed Tantawi and the director and members of his electoral campaign, on charges of printing and circulating one of the electoral process papers.
2. Nasr City State Security Misdemeanor Court – II decided for the 3rd time to extend the sentencing hearing against Eng. Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi.
3. The death of Abdel-Hay Ahmed Hussein in his prison cell in Burg Al-Arab prison, without announcing the cause of death.
4. Supreme State Security Prosecution investigates 45 citizens, with provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Law.
5. Security forces in Sharqia released 5 citizens after detention outside the framework of the law pending the signal from National Security.
6. Continuation of trials before terrorism chambers in Cairo Criminal Courts in Badr prison Complex for dozens of citizens.
7. The referral of papers of two defendants to the Mufti of the Republic after death sentences in the case known as the Marg Terrorist Cell case.
8. The Ministry of the Interior holds a training course for Police Academy students in the field of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners “The Nelson Mandela Rules”

Details

1- Prosecution Investigations:

• Supreme State Security Prosecution:

1. The Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 45 citizens, and put them in pretrial detention for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.

 

• Public Prosecution Investigations:

Monday, 6 November

1. 10th of Ramadan Prosecution in Sharqia investigated  citizen Mohamed Ahmed Sayed Ahmed Shaalan after arresting him from his home in Abu Kebir, accused of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new, and then placing them in pretrial detention.

 

Thursday 9 November

1. Zagazig Total Prosecution investigated 2 citizens Muhammad Gamal Suleiman, and Samir Halawa after 60 days enforced disappearance, and charging them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

2- Detention Renewal:

Tuesday 7 November

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Circuit-III, in Badr Prison renewed the detention for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Case Numbers are 316 of 2017, 1175 of 2018, 238 of 2021, including journalist Tawfiq Ghanem and human rights lawyer Said Khalaf, 482 of 2021, 1222 of 2021, 670 of 2022, 1007 of 2022, 1391 of 2022, 2 135 of 2022, 2216 of 2022, 185 of 2023, 192 of 2023, 203 of 2023, 294 of 2023, 333 of 2023, 352 of 2023, 422 of 2023, 1160 of 2023, 1233 of 2023, Supreme State Security.

 

Wednesday, 8 November

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Circuit-III, in Badr Prison renewed the detention for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Case Numbers 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 202 0, 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 2 017), 1096 of 2022, 1394 of 2022, 1660 of 2022, 744 of 2023, Supreme State Security.
2. Banha Total Prosecution renewed the detention of activist Ahmed Hamdi Al-Said Suleiman, known as Ahmed Jeeka, for 15 days pending investigations in Case No. 3117 of 2023, Kafr Shukr Administrative, on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

 

Sunday, 12 November

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Circuit-II, in Badr Prison renewed the detention for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Case Numbers are 900 of 2017, 1235 of 2019, 1270 of 2019, 1480 of 2019, 1898 of 2019, 2007 of 2019, 335 of 2020, 569 of 2020, 577 of 2020, 615 of 20 20, 984 of 2020, 1052 of 2020, 595 of 2021, 911 of 2021, 965 of 2021, 2013 of 2021, 2147 of 2021, 41 of 2022, 94 of 2022, 441 of 2022 including journalists Hala Fahmy and Safaa Al-Korbihi, 1516 of 2022. 2185 of 2022, 1 of 2023, 60 of 2023, 324 of 2023, 524 of 2023, 710 of 2023, 1467 of 2023, Supreme State Security.

 

3- Release from police custody:

Monday 6 November

1. Security forces at Zagazig Police Station, released Eng. Ahmed Abdel Raseq Al-Banhawi, after detaining him for 66 days outside the framework of the law then receiving the National Security signal.

 

Thursday 9 November

1. Security forces at Zagazig Police Station, released Saber Attia Ibrahim, Ahmed Abdel Hafeez Ahmed, Hassan Muhammad Ibrahim Hassan, and Abdel Moneim Awadallah Muhammad, after receiving the National Security signal.

4- Trials:

Monday, 6 November

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Circuit-I held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 1 defendant, in the case known in the media as the Media Committee of the Muslim Brotherhood case, to the session of 19 February 2024
2. The same chamber decided to refer the papers of two defendants to the Mufti of the Republic as the in the case known as Marg Terrorist Cell case, and set for sentencing to the session of 19 February 2024.

 

Tuesday, 7 November

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Circuit-I held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant in the case known in the media as ISIS 5th Settlement cell case, to the session on 19 November 2023.
2. The same Circuit postponed the retrial of 11 defendants in the case known in the media as the Second Shorouk Cell case to the session of 20 November 2023.
3. Mataria Misdemeanor Court heard the trial of 23 defendants, including former parliamentary representative Ahmed Tantawi and his campaign manager for the presidential elections. That was in the case known in the media as the Tantawi Powers of Attorney case, on charges of printing and circulating one of the electoral process papers without the permission of the competent authority for the session of 28 November 2023.

 

Wednesday 8 November

1. Cairo Criminal Court, held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of 1 defendant in the case known in the media as the case of Talbieh Violence Incidents to the session of 17 December 2023.
2. Same Circuit postponed the retrial of 32 defendants in the case known in the media as the Joker Terrorist Cell case to the sentencing hearing of 17 November 2023.
3. Darb Negm Misdemeanor Court, Terrorism Circuit, reserved the trial of Sherif Amer, Mohamed Amer, and Ayman Sabri to the sentencing hearing of 15 November 2023, on charges of spreading false news and statements.

 

Thursday 9 November

1. Nasr City State Security Misdemeanor Court – II decided to extend the sentencing session against Engineer Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi to the session of 28 December 2023, on charges of spreading false news and statements.

 

Saturday 11 November

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Circuit-II held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant in the case known in the media as Abu Al-Numros Violence Incidents case, to the session on 14 December 2023.
2. Same Circuit reserved the trial of 7 defendants in the case known in the media as Imbaba Terrorist Cell to the sentencing hearing of 14 December 2023.
3. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Circuit, reserved the trial of Ahmed Jamal Al-Arini, Ahmed Khedr Al-Said, Ashraf Talab Attia, Awad Fawzi Hassan, Abdul Rahman Sobhi Al-Sayyed, Suhaib Salem, Alaa Saeed, Muhammad Abdullah, Ahmed Awad, Ibrahim Qassem, Ahmed Mohie, Waleed Bakri, Abdul Rahman Waleed Bakri, Ammar Rabie, and Mosaab Abdul Rahman to the sentencing hearing of 25 November 2023.

5- Judicial Decisions:

Monday 6 November

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Circuit-I held in Badr Prison ruled to punish 3 defendants with aggravated imprisonment for 10 years and inclusion on the lists of terrorist entities in the case known in the media as the Giza Terrorist Cell case.
2. Belbeis Misdemeanor Court, Terrorism Circuit acquitted 6 citizens on charges of spreading false news and statements.
3. Same Circuit acquitted both Dr. Muhammad Ali Youssef, and Al-Sheikh Mamdouh Rabie, after accusing them of publishing false news and statements.

 

6- Statements:

Saturday 11 November

1. The Ministry of the Interior official Facebook page posted a statement regarding the Police Academy hosting a training course for its students of in the field of (United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners “Nelson Mandela Rules”).

 

7- Presidential elections:

Wednesday 8 November

1. The National Elections Authority issued a statement about the approval from its Board of Directors to allocate the “star” symbol to candidate Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the “sun” symbol to candidate Faried Zahran, the “palm tree” symbol to candidate Abdel-Sanad Yamama, and the “ladder” symbol to candidate Hazem Omar.

8- Prison news:

Monday 6 November

1.  Egyptian Network for Human Rights documented and published the death of citizen Abdel-Hay Ahmed Hussein inside his prison cell in Burg Al-Arab Prison, without announcing the causes of death.

 

Legal Comment

 

The Referral of former parliamentarian Ahmed Al-Tantawi and the director and members of his election presidential campaign to criminal trial, and postponing the first trial sessions. That move represented a new form of systematic targeting of the opponent and potential presidential candidate, together with members of his campaign. Those violations have emerged in the context of issuing the powers of attorney necessary for candidacy, despite putting all obstacles for citizens using bullying and intimidation around the registry offices.

 

Supreme State Security Prosecution has continued to rely on the investigation reports of National Security Service officers. The number of citizens arrested has continued to increase on the grounds of crimes stipulated in the Terrorism Law issued in 2015 and amended in 2018, most notably the crimes of spreading false news and rumors harmful to the country reputation and joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes, which neither the defendants nor their lawyers actually understand. The investigating authorities have always refused access to the reports that allegedly prove the commission of such crimes, even though the Public Prosecution keeps using such broad and fabricated accusations as a pretext for ordering pretrial detention.

 

Nasr City State Security Misdemeanor Court – II, decided for the second time to extend the sentencing against Eng.  Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi on charges of publishing false news and data, in a continuation of abuse against him after posting two articles on his personal Facebook page, as a part of bullying opponents and putting them trials that lack fair and just trial standards.