Summary:
State Security investigations continue into 25 citizens on charges of terrorism and spreading false news.
The Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue recommends reducing the duration of pretrial detention.
The release of journalist and director of Yaqeen News Network Yahya Khalaf after 32 days of illegal detention since his release decision.
Renewal of the detention of Engineer Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi and hundreds of citizens on terrorism cases.
Details
Arrest and Detention (enforced disappearance)
Thursday, 22 August
Security forces arrested Diaa Shaaban Suleiman from his home and took him to an unknown destination, without presenting him to any prosecution body.
Prosecution Investigations
Supreme State Security Prosecution:
Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 25 citizens, and put them in pretrial detention for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.
Public Prosecution:
Monday, 19 August
10th of Ramadan Prosecution Office in Sharqia arrested Yasser Mustafa Ibrahim after arresting them from his home, and accused him of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new.
Belbeis Prosecution Office in Sharqia arrested both Eid Al-Sayed and Mohamed Taha Taha, after arresting then from their homes, and accused them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new.
Rotation Pending New Cases:
Wednesday, 21 August
State Security Prosecution in Cairo investigated Mohamed Qutb Hassan Mohamed Ahmed after disrupting the procedures for his release by Zagazig Criminal Court, on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
Detention Renewal:
Wednesday, 21 August
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, in Badr Prison heard detention renewal sessions for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Cases No. are 319 of 2013, 759 of 2014, 722 of 2015, 148 of 2017, 700 of 2017, 444 of 2018, 1332 of 2018, 1365 of 2018, 1739 of 2018, 650 of 2019, 1413 of 2019, 549 of 2020, 647 of 2020, 867 of 2020, 1053 of 2020, 1107 of 2020, 755 of 2021, 883 of 2021, 911 of 2021, 2000 of 2021, 200 of 2022, 400 of 2022, 540 of 2022, 635 of 2022, 1095 of 2022, 1691 of 2022, 2094 of 2022, 2412 of 2022, 2515 of 2022, 1 of 2023, 60 of 2023, 145 of 2023, 258 of 2023, 294 of 2023, 440 of 2023, 931 of 2023, 1160 of 2023, 1816 of 2023, 2194 of 2023, 2369 of 2023, 2464 of 2023, 2526 of 2023, 2992 of 2023, 3226 of 2023, 3615 of 2023, 165 of 2024, 598 of 2024, 655 of 2024, 664 of 2024, 952 of 2024, Supreme State Security.
Thursday, 22 August
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, in Badr Prison heard detention renewal sessions for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Cases No. are 977 of 2017, 623 of 2018, 706 of 2019, 1358 of 2019, 535 of 2020, 970 of 2020, 1054 of 2020, 383 of 2021, 966 of 2021, 1000 of 2021, 573 of 2022, 1893 of 2022, 191 of 2023, 508 of 2023, 744 of 2023, 2152 of 2023, 2901 of 2023, 2902 of 2023, 523 of 2024, 618 of 2024, 755 of 2024, 756 of 2024, 757 of 2024, 1128 of 2024, Supreme State Security.
Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber in Sharqia accepts the appeal by Public Prosecution against the decision to release 14 imprisoned citizens, cancels the decision, and renews the detention of the accused for 45 days pending investigations.
Sunday, 25 August
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, in Badr Prison heard detention renewal sessions for dozens of citizens held in pre-trial detention pending cases. Cases No. are 640 of 2018, 1555 of 2018, 311 of 2019, 750 of 2019, 467 of 2020, 585 of 2020, 649 of 2020, 680 of 2020 including journalist Medhat Ramadan, 1006 of 2020, 1055 of 2020, 628 of 2021, 910 of 2021, 2055 of 2021, 2215 of 2021, 2556 of 2021, 2993 of 2021, 4 of 2022, 633 of 2022, 907 of 2022, 1007 Of 2022, 1473 of 2022, 1539 of 2022, 1540 of 2022, 1634 of 2022, 1650 of 2022, 1960 of 2022, 2070 of 2022, 2412 of 2022, 85 of 2023, 186 of 2023, 422 of 2023, 424 of 2023, 626 of 2023, 718 of 2023, 1468 of 2023, 1978 of 2023, 2369 of 2023, 2390 of 2023, 2903 of 2023 3460 of 2023, 288 of 2024, 409 of 2024, 715 of 2024, 977 of 2024 Supreme State Security.
Renewing the detention of engineer Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi for 15 days pending investigations in case No. 3916 of 2024, Supreme State Security.
The same prosecution renewed the detention of journalist Yasser Abu Al-Ela for 15 days pending investigations in case No. 1568 of 2024, Supreme State Security.
Acquittal:
Thursday, 22 August
Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber in Sharqia decided to acquit 3 citizens with the guarantee of their residence. They are Ashraf Mohamed Mohamad, Ehab Abu Foul, and Mohamed El Sayed Ali El Sharqawi.
Saturday, 24 August
Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber in Sharqia decided to acquit 3 citizens with the guarantee of their residence. They are Mohamed Ezz El Din Obeid Ali, Abdel Rahman Mohamed El Sayed Abdel Ghani El Sabbagh, and Mahmoud Reda.
Release:
Thursday, 22 August
The security forces in Giza released journalist and director of Yaqeen News Network Yahia Khalaf Allah, after more than 30 days of detention at the National Security headquarters in Sheikh Zayed, as implementation of the decision to release him by Giza Criminal Court.
The security forces at Belbeis Police Station in Sharqia released Mohamed Abdel Aal Ismail, after completing the procedures for the validity of his release and the arrival of the national security signal.
Friday, 23 August
The security forces at Zagazig Police Station in Sharqia released 3 citizens, after completing the procedures for the validity of their release and the arrival of the national security signal. They are Ismail Muhammad Ismail, Muhammad Suleiman, and Abdul Rahman Muhammad.
Trials:
Tuesday, 20 August
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 2 defendants in the case known in the media as the case of Rabia Sit-in dispersal to the session on 20 October 2024 for the legal arguments.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 1 defendant, in the case known in the media as Boulaq cell case to the session on 20 October 2024 for the legal arguments.
Saturday, 24 August
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 4 defendants, in the case known in the media as the case of Omrania Terrorist Cell to the session in 25 September 2024.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 35 defendants, in the case known in the media as currency trading to the session on 26 October 2024.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 1 defendant, accused of joining a terrorist group to the session on 23 September 2024.
Judicial Rulings:
Saturday, 24 August
Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber, ruled to Mohamed El Gendi on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news and statements.
Statements:
Wednesday, 21 August
The official spokesperson for the Presidency of the Republic published on his official Facebook page the President’s directives to refer the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee regarding pretrial detention to the government to implement those recommendations.
Legal Comment
The President of the Republic issued his directives to both refer the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee on pretrial detention. The directives was also to discuss the draft amendment to the Criminal Procedures Law in the House of Representatives, which included reducing the period of pretrial detention in the current text of the law, which is set at two years if the penalty for the crime is life imprisonment or the death penalty.
many citizens are in pretrial detention, are actually exceeding that maximum limit, such as the case of journalists Medhat Ramadan, Mustafa Al-Khateeb, Abdullah Shousha, photojournalist Hamdi Al-Zaim, activist Nermeen Hussein, and other citizens who have exceeded the two-year limit.
All this confirm that political will is the decisive factor in the success of any legal amendment, and that laws are tools for achieving justice and organization, but without political will to support them, these tools remain ineffective and remain just ink on paper while the actual aimed effect remains elusive.
It is not enough to rely solely on amending legal texts; it must be accompanied by a strong and serious political commitment to achieve actual and sustainable change.