Justice Observatory in Egypt from January 22 to January 28, 2024

Summary:

1. State Security investigations continue into 40 citizens on charges of terrorism and spreading false news.
2. Arrest and enforced disappearance of two citizens from Sharqia.
3. The release of dozens of citizens for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention.
4. Cairo Criminal Court Terrorism Chamber continues non-stop to renew the pretrial detention of dozens of citizens in State Security cases.
5. Court of Cessation upholds the death sentences against 7 citizens in the Helwan Brigades case
6. Ministry of Interior grants exceptional visits to Egyptian prisons coinciding with Police Day celebrations.

Details

1- Arrest and Detention

Wednesday, 24 January

1. Security forces at the Hahia Police Station in Sharqia arrested citizen, Mahmoud Al-Said Samir, from his home and took him to an unknown destination, without presenting him to any prosecution body.

Thursday, 25 January

1. Security forces at the Hahia Police Station in Sharqia arrested citizen, Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Wahab, from his home and took him to an unknown destination, without presenting him to any prosecution body.

2- Prosecution Investigations

• Supreme State Security Prosecution:

1. Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 40 citizens, and put them in pretrial detention for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.

• Public Prosecution:

Wednesday, 24 January

1. Ibrahimia Prosecution Office investigated citizens Al-Said Abdel Rahim, Khaled Ahmed Metwally, and Mohammad Ahmed Al-Sharqawi after arresting them from their homes, and accused them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
2. 10th of Ramadan Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated citizen Ahmed Mohamed Al-Hadi Mohamed after arresting him from his home, and accused him of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

 

Saturday, 27 January

1. 10th of Ramadan Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated citizens Essam Ahmed Salem, and Ismail Muhammad Ismail Mansour after arresting them from their homes, and accused them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
2. Zagazig Total Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated citizens Ezz al-Din Abdel Salam Tolba, Abdel-Azim Muhammad Mahmoud, Assem Mahmoud Rabie, Muhammad Saeed Ragab, and Ragab Saeed Rajab after arresting them from their homes, and accused them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
3. Zagazig Total Prosecution Office in Sharqia investigated Dr. Mohab Saeed following 28 days of enforced disappearance, after arresting him from his home, and accused him of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
4. Prosecution Office in Zagazig-II Police Station Sharqia investigated citizen Abdullah Omar Refaat, following 45 days of enforced disappearance, after arresting him from his home, and accused him of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.

3- Detention Renewal:

Sunday, 21 January – Monday, 22 January

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, in Badr Prison heard the 2 days detention renewal sessions for 888 citizens held in pre-trial detention without a real reason requiring postponement, the minimum guarantees of a fair trial, or hearing lawyers or defense illegally.

The list includes both Hamdi Al-Zaim and activist Nermeen Hussein.

Tuesday, 23 January

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to release 20 citizens with the guarantee of their residence, for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention. Their names are Muhammad Taha Othman Ali, Mahmoud Abdel Khaleq Mahmoud Muhammad Al-Ashqar, Essam Muhammad Abdel Aziz Muhammad, Hassan Othman Al-Sayyed Ali, Said Ahmed Ali Abdullah, Abdullah Kilani Abdel Qader Abdel-Al, Said Ali Muhammad Mansour, Khaled Ali Ahmed, Muhammad Ismail Muhammad Youssef Al-Naggar, Abdel Salam Tolba Muhammad Al-Said, Muhammad Mahmoud Muhammad Aqrr, Ehab Muhammad Mohammad Shehab, Gouda Muhammad Azab Ibrahim, Ahmed Sobhi Abdel-Hay Shaaban, Muhammad Abdel-Fattah Eliwa, Khaled Muhammad Ahmed Muhammad Al-Halawa, Fawzi Ahmed Tawfiq Abbas Al-Banna, Muhammad Mustafa Rashid Abd Al-Hamid, Hossam Diaa Shaaban Suleiman, Fathi Abdel-Ghani Abdel-Maaboud, and Hossam Mohamed Abdel-Fattah Nasr.

Wednesday. 24 January

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to acquitted 7 citizens with the guarantee of their residence, for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention. Their names are Islam Ahmed Saad Al-Azzawi, Muhammad Hussein Ahmed Muhammad Irfan, Salah Muhammad Al-Bakri, Abdel Halim Anas Badawi, Muhammad Eid Negm, Mahmoud Badawi, and Yasser Muhammad Klobb.
2. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber decided to acquit 9 citizens with the guarantee of their residence, for exceeding the maximum limit of pretrial detention. Their names are Adel Mohamed Abdel Sami Asqar, Salah Hassan Mohamed Hassan, Mohamed Mohamed Murad Suleiman, Shoukry Mohamed Abdel Halim Mohamed Qoura, Abdel Sattar Abdel Azim Abdallah, Mohamed Gomaa Awad Eid, Emad Mohamed Mahmoud Ibrahim, Ahmadi Abdel Salam Al Sayed Ahmed, and Osama Blassi Mohamed Saleh.

4- Release from police custody:

Wednesday, 24 January

1. The security forces at 10th of Ramadan Police Station in Sharqia released citizens Yasser Ibrahim, Ammar Yasser Ibrahim, and Mohammad Yasser Ibrahim after completing the procedures for the validity of their release by Zagazig Criminal Court.

 

Saturday, 27 January

1. The security forces at 10th of Ramadan Police Station in Sharqia released citizen Eid Ahmed Muhammad Salim after completing the procedures for the validity of his release by Zagazig Criminal Court.
2. The security forces at Abu Kebir Police Station in Sharqia released both Ahmed Mohamed Fekri, known as Ahmed Al-Safer, Mustafa Daoud after completing the procedures for the validity of their release by Zagazig Criminal Court.

5- Trials:

Monday, 22 January

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of 64 defendant in the case known in the media as New Cairo Terrorist Cell case to the session on 11 March 2024.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber –III, held in Badr Prison reserved the case known in the media as the Zaytoun Violence Case to the sentencing session on 27 February 2024

 

Tuesday, 23 January

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 13 defendant, in the case known in the media as Kerdassa ISIS cell case to the session on 13 February 2024 for reviewing.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 1 defendant, in the case known in the media as Suez Terrorist Cell case to the sentencing session on 28 February 2024.

 

Wednesday, 24 January

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 14 defendants, in the case known in the media as the case of targeting the Marg churches to the sentencing session on 28 February 2024.

6- Judicial Rulings:

Tuesday, 23 January

1. Court of Cassation ruled to uphold the death sentence against 7 defendants, reject the appeal of 10 defendants, accept the appeal of 7 others, again acquit 6 defendants, cancel the sentence of 9 and punish 5 with 5-year imprisonment and others with aggravated 10-year sentences in the case known in the media as the Helwan Brigades case.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison sentenced 8 defendants to life imprisonment, 15 years of aggravated imprisonment for 4, 5 years imprisonment for 1, and 3 years imprisonment for 1, in the case known in the media as the Mataria-II Cell Case.
3. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison ruled to punish 1 defendant with3 years aggravated imprisonment in the case known in the media as the Al-Salam Violence Incidents case.

 

7- Legislations and decisions:

Monday 22 January

1. Ministry of Interior grants inmates in Egyptian prisons an exceptional visit for celebrating Police Day from 27/1/2024 – 27/5/2024.

8- Statements:

Thursday, January 25

1. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior published a statement about pardoning (4,187) inmates who deserve to be released by pardon for the remainder of their sentence and who fulfilled the conditions of pardon on Police Day.

Legal Comment

Supreme State Security Prosecution investigated – during the newsletter’s coverage period – 40 citizens. It also put them in pretrial detention without taking into account the simplest rules of law and trial, as the renewal of imprisonment is recently on paper and without defense, in addition to the burden on prisoners because of the internet outage in what is called Internet Updates.

 

Court of Cassation ruled to uphold the death sentence against 7 defendants, reject the appeal of 10 defendants, accept the appeal of 7 others, again acquit 6 defendants, cancel the sentence of 9 and punish 5 with 5-year imprisonment and others with aggravated 10-year sentences in the case known in the media as the Helwan Brigades case.

Now, that the fate of the 7 citizens awaiting execution of the death sentence remains in the hands of the President of the Republic alone in case of a presidential pardon. This case lacked the simplest rules and standards for a fair and just trial, most important of which is the principle of publicity of trials, since they occurred in places affiliated with the Egyptian Ministry of Interior to begin with, such as the Police Secretaries Institute in Tora, and currently Badr Prison.