Summary:
The investigating judge lifts the freeze of assets on Ezzat Soliman, Hossam Bahgat, Gamal Eid, and Mustafa Al-Hassan, in Case No. 173 of 2011.
State Security investigations continue into 22 citizens on charges of terrorism and spreading false news.
Rotation of 42 citizens from Sharqia, to new cases by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, after various durations of enforced disappearance.
Release of activist and poet Ahmed Douma on bail from Supreme State Security Prosecution.
Military court rejects appeal by a conscript against three-year prison sentence for contempt of religion.
A sentence of 15-year hard labor for defendant in retrial in Kerdassa Center storming case.
Details
Prosecution Investigations
Supreme State Security Prosecution:
Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 22 citizens and put them in pretrial detention for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.
Public Prosecution:
Monday, 11 November
10th of Ramadan Prosecution in Sharkia detains Abdel Rahman Samir in pretrial detention after his arrest and then accused him of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news and statements.
Wednesday, 13 November
State Security Prosecution in Cairo resumed investigating student Aya Kamal in Case No. 93 of 2021 and redirected the charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
Rotation Pending New Cases:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, November
Zagazig Total Prosecution in Sharqia investigated 42 citizens, after delaying the implementation of their release procedures.
Detention Renewal:
Sunday, 10 November
Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of journalist Ashraf Omar for 15 days pending investigations into Case No. 1568 of 2024 on charges of joining a terrorist group and publishing false news and statements.
Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of journalist Ahmed Bayoumi for 15 days pending investigations into Case No. 5054 of 2024 State Security, on charges of joining a terrorist group and publishing false news and statements.
Monday, 11 November
Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of economic expert Dr. Abdel Khaleq Farouk for 15 days pending investigations into Case No. 4937 of 2024 Supreme State Security on charges of joining a terrorist group and publishing false news and statements.
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 725 of 2014, 29 of 2016, 277 of 2019, 488 of 2019 including journalist Mustafa Al-Khatib, 1118 of 2019, 1318 of 2019, 1400 of 2019, 1779 of 2019, 467 of 2020, 585 of 2020, 1021 of 2020, 1055 of 2020, 1110 of 2020, 482 of 2021, 628 of 2021, 1934 of 2021, 1987 of 2021, 2055 of 2021, 2056 of 2021, 1007 of 2022, 1097 of 2022, 1540 of 2022, 1643 of 2022, 2070 of 2022, 2216 of 2022, 2572 of 2022, 85 of 2023, 185 of 2023, 186 of 2023, 192 of 2023, 422 L Of 2023, 424 of 2023, 626 of 2023, 718 of 2023, 2390 of 2023, 2194 of 2023, 2903 of 2023, 3391 of 2023, 166 of 2024, 281 of 2024, 409 L year 2024, 598 of 2024, 715 of 2024, 2627 of 2024, 2558 of 2024, 2808 of 2024, Supreme State Security.
Tuesday, 12 November
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 1235 of 2019, 1270 of 2019, 1480 of 2019, 1898 of 2019, 2007 of 2019, 569 of 2020, 577 of 2020, 615 of 2020, 662 of 2020, 984 Of 2020, 1052 of 2020, 595 of 2021, 626 of 2021, 965 of 2021, 1983 of 2021, 2380 of 2021, 41 of 2022, 1516 of 2022, 94 of 2023, 325 of 2023, 540 of 2023, 1977 Of 2023, 2113 of 2023, 2468 of 2023, 2991 of 2023, 3510 of 2023, 664 of 2024, 784 of 2024, 1410 of 2024, 2490 of 2024, 2806 of 2024, 2809 of 2024, Supreme State Security.
Acquittal:
Sunday, 10 November
Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to acquit activist Ahmed Douma on a bail of EGP 20,000 after investigating him in Case No. 5892 of 2024, State Security and accusing him of deliberately publishing false news and statements with the aim of harming the country’s reputation inside and outside.
Tuesday, 12 November
Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to acquit 30 citizens who were in pretrial detention in 14 cases under investigation, with the guarantee of their places of residence.
Release:
Tuesday, Wednesday, 12, 13 November
The security forces at numerous centers in Sharqia released 7 citizens, after completing the procedures of their release receiving the signal from National Security.
Trials:
Monday, 11 November
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 9 defendants in Case No. 13555 of 2024, Helwan Felonies, known in the media as the ISIS Helwan Cell Case, to the session of 22 December 2024.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 5 defendants in Case No. 14406 of 2024, Helwan Felonies, known in the media as the ISIS Delta Cell Case, to the session of 9 December 2024.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant in Case No. 18800 of 2023, Boulaq Felonies, on charges of joining a terrorist group, to the sentencing session of 13 January 2025.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant in Case No. 115749 of 2022, October-II Felonies, known in the media as the Minya Terrorist Cell case, to the session of 10 December 2024.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant in the case known as Ramses Events case, to the sentencing session of 14 January 2025.
Tuesday, 12 November
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 6 defendants in Case No. 13052 of 2022, October-II Felonies, known in the media as the Agouza Terrorist Cell case, to the session of 8 December 2024, or the first and second defendants to attend from their prison.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 1 defendant in the case known in the media as Mataria Cell to the session of 10 December.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trail of 1 defendant, in Case No. 1172 of 2024, known as the case of the Rabia Operations Room, to the sentencing session of 24 December.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of 7 defendants in Case No. 12851 of 2024, 1st Settlement Felonies, known as Foreign Currency case, to the session on 22 December 2024.
Saturday, 16 November
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of 5 defendants in case No. 48 of 2023, Supreme State Security, known in the media as the Sohag ISIS Cell Case, to the session on 5 December 2024.
Judicial Rulings:
Tuesday, 12 November
Cairo Criminal Court of Appeals, Chamber-II, held in Badr Prison ruled to sentence 1 defendant to 15 years in hard labour in the case known in the media as the Kerdasa Center Storming Case.
Wednesday, 13 November
East Military Misdemeanor Court of Appeals rejected Appeal No. 37 of 2024 by conscript Youssef Saad Hanin, against the 3-year prison sentence against him on charges of “committing behavior that is harmful to discipline, order, and the requirements of the military system”. This is due to his conversation with a resident of his village via the “Messenger”, in which Youssef wrote phrases that the prosecution considered “offensive to Islam”.
Actions of the Investigative Judges:
Wednesday, 13 November
Investigative Judge, Counselor Ahmed Abdel Aziz Qatlan, ruled in Case No. 173 of 2011, “the Civil Society Case,” a decision to end the ban on Professors Ezzat Soliman, Hossam Bahgat, Mustafa Al-Hassan, and Gamal Eid from disposing of their funds. He also sent letters to the Central Bank, the Technical Office of the Public Prosecutor, the Egyptian Stock Exchange, the Egyptian Postal Authority, and the Real Estate Registration Authority to end the ban on disposing of the professors’ funds.
Legal Comment
The investigative judge in the civil society closure case decided to lift the ban on the funds of the directors of civil society organizations and institutions. They are Gamal Eid, Hossam Bahgat, Azza Soliman, and Mostafa Al-Hassan. This is a positive and late step, representing even partial justice for prominent human rights defenders in Egypt. This highlights the need for a comprehensive review of the procedures that led to the imposition of these restrictions in the first place,
including a review of the laws related to foreign funding and civil society organizations.
The sentence to convict conscript Youssef Saad Hanin after a conversation he had with one of his villagers on Messenger during his leave from military service on charges of contempt of religion, raises many questions about freedom of expression and its limits in Egypt.
This case highlights the great challenge in balancing between the freedom of an individual to express his opinions, even if they are controversial, and laws that criminalize acts considered contempt of religions. While respecting religious beliefs and community values is important, using laws such as blasphemy laws to restrict expression can lead to them being misinterpreted or exploited to settle scores or suppress diverse voices. It is also important to distinguish between expressing an opinion and inciting hatred or violence.