Summary:
Lifting the names of 716 citizens from lists of terrorist entities.
Security forces arrest journalist Sayed Sadeq and refer him to the Supreme State Security Prosecution
State Security investigations continue into 30 citizens on charges of terrorism and spreading false news.
Rotation of 9 citizens from Sharqia, to new cases by the Supreme State Security Prosecution.
Renewal of the detention of hundreds of citizens pending Supreme State Security cases.
Release and acquittal of 10 citizens from Sharqia
The Public Prosecution conducts an inspection of a number of police stations and departments.
Details
Arrest and detention:
Wednesday, 27 November
Security forces arrested journalist Sayed Sadeq from his home and investigated him at the State Security Prosecution, accusing him of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and kept him in pretrial detention.
Prosecution Investigations
Supreme State Security Prosecution:
Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated (during the newsletter’s coverage period) 30 citizens and put them in pretrial detention for joining a terrorist group and financing and supplying a terrorist group.
Public Prosecution:
Tuesday, 26 November
Zagazig General Prosecution in Sharqia investigated 4 after different periods of enforced disappearance and then accused them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news and statements. They are Saad Mohamed Ibrahim, Yassin Mohamed Ibrahim, Nasser Ibrahim Gad, Nabil Fathy Radwan, and Sayed Abdel Samee.
Rotation Pending New Cases:
Tuesday, Thursday, 26, 28 November
Zagazig Total and Belbeis Partial Prosecutions in Sharqia rotated 10 citizens, after accused them again them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news and statements.
Detention Renewal:
Sunday, 25 November
Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo renewed the detention of cartoonist Ashraf Omar for 15 days pending investigations into Case No. 1568 of 2024 on charges of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and committing a financing crime.
Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of journalist Ahmed Bayoumi for 45 days pending investigations into Case No. 5054 of 2024 State Security, on charges of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and committing a financing crime.
Monday, 26 November
Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo renewed the detention of economic expert Abdel Khaleq Farouk for 15 days pending investigations into Case No. 4937 of 2024 on charges of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and committing a financing crime.
Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo renewed the detention of 8 citizens for 15 days pending investigations into Case No. 2810 of 2024 on charges of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and committing a financing crime.
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 470 of 2019, 800 of 2019, 930 of 2019, including lawyer Qasim Abdul Kafai, 1450 of 2019, 1530 of 2019, 570 of 2020, 580 of 2020, 812 of 2020, 865 of 2020, 1017 of 2020, 1022 of 2020, 1413 of 2021, 1624 of 2021, 1 of 2022 copied from 1269 of 2019, 440 of 2022, 1042 of 2022 copied from 420 of 2017, 1096 of 2022, 1394 of 2022, 1893 of 2022, 2032 of 2022, 2185 of 2022, 2 of 2023 copied from 1660 of 2022, 130 of 2023, 191 of 2023, 260 of 2023, 508 of 2023, 710 of 2023, 744 of 2023, 1001 of 2023, 2125 of 2023, 2727 of 2023, 3535 of 2023, 977 of 2024, 1568 of 2024 including journalists Ramadan Guwaida and Yasser Abu Al-Ela, 2803 of 2024, Supreme State Security
Tuesday, 26 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 316 of 2017, 855 of 2020, 238 of 2021 including journalist Tawfiq Ghanem and human rights lawyer Said Khalaf 915 of 2021, 991 of 2021, 2135 of 2022, 2469 of 2023, 665 of 2024, 3434 of 2024, Supreme State Security.
Trials:
Monday, 25 November
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 46 defendants, in Case No. 14874 of 2024, Agouza Felonies, known in the media as Second Agouza Cell Case, to the session of 26 January 2025.
Tuesday, 26 November
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of 35 defendants in Case No. 54 of 2024, known in the media as the case of trading in foreign currency and smuggling it abroad, on charges of joining a terrorist group, to the session on 13 January 2025.
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the trial of 73 defendants in case No. 11926 of 2022, Fifth Settlement Felonies, known in the media as the case of the terrorist group cell, to the session of 14 January 2025.
Judicial Rulings:
Monday, 25 November
Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison ruled to sentence 1 defendant to 7 years in hard labour in the case known in the media as the Alf Maskan Violence Incidence.
Statements and Information:
Sunday, 24 November, 2024
The Public Prosecution published a statement on its official Facebook page regarding the decision of the Criminal Court to remove the lift of 716 citizens from the lists of terrorist entities implementing instruction of the Public Prosecutor.
Monday, 26 November
The Public Prosecution published a statement about a team of its members inspecting police stations and centers (Al-Marg, Boulaq Al-Dakrour, Assiut First, Abshway, Beni Suef, Sohag, Tanta, Al-Hamoul).
Friday, 29 November
The Public Prosecution published a statement about a team of its members inspecting police stations and centers (Ismailia-II, Al-Manakh, Al-Dakhiela, Raml-I, Luxor, Hurghada-I, Bilqas, Faqous)
Legal Comment
Cairo Criminal Court
Supreme State Security Prosecution
The arrest of journalist Said Sadeq and his referral to the State Security Prosecution without allowing him to communicate with his family confirms the violations of human rights and justice in Egypt. A procedure that also contradicts the Egyptian Constitution in Article 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which guarantees the rights of individuals, such as the right to immediate notification to the relatives of the arrested person, and to protect him from any procedures that may violate his basic rights.
The lift of the names of 716 citizens from the list of terrorist entities, was a positive, but late, step towards reducing the list of accusations that may affect the lives of individuals without sufficient judicial evidence.
However, the retention of 808 others based on an investigation report alone raises doubts about the criteria for inclusion and evaluation in such sensitive cases. In this context, adherence to the principles of justice and fair trial guarantees must be the cornerstone of dealing with terrorism cases. This includes transparency in procedures and subjecting decisions to careful judicial reviews. Moreover, providing conclusive evidence that goes beyond the stage of suspicion or initial investigations is also necessary to avoid any arbitrariness or violation of the rights of individuals.