Observatory of Justice in Egypt 5 – 11 January, 2025

Summary:

Hundreds of detainees turn their backs to the cameras during the renewal of their detention in protest against their continued detention without evidence.

Prisoner of conscience Abdel Khaleq Farouk announces his hunger strike, in protest against his continued detention, the poor conditions in the prison, and the disregard of the prosecution for his complaints.

Supreme State Security Prosecution refers 9 cases to court and awaits the setting of sessions.

Supreme State Security Prosecution investigates dozens of citizens.

Rotation of 3 citizens in Sharqia, to new cases by the Supreme State Security Prosecution.

Details

Prosecution Investigations:

Public Prosecution:

State Security Prosecution investigates dozens of citizens – who were arrested on different dates during the bulletin’s coverage period under the Anti-Terrorism Law and remanded in custody.

Rotation Pending New Cases:

Sunday, 5 January

Zagazig Total Prosecution in Sharqia rotated both Youssef Ahmed Farouk, and Ahmed Abdel Hamid Ahmed to new cases, after delaying the implementation of the decision to release them, investigated them, and then re-accused them of joining a terrorist group and detaining them in custody.

Thursday, 9 January

Zagazig Total Prosecution in Sharqia rotated Magdy Mohamed Naguib to a new case, after delaying the implementation of the decision of his release, investigated him, and then re-accused him of joining a terrorist group and detaining them in custody.

Detention Renewal:

Sunday, 5 January

The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of journalist Ahmed Bayoumi for 15 days pending case No. 5054 of 2024 Supreme State Security, on charges of joining a terrorist group and publishing false news and statements.

The Supreme State Security prosecution renewed the detention of journalist Said Saber for 15 days pending case No. 6499 of 2024 Supreme State Security on the same charges.

The Supreme State Security prosecution renewed the detention of lawyer/ Fatima Al-Zahraa Gharib Muhammad for 15 days pending investigations into case No. 1282 of 2024 on the same charges.

Monday, 6 January

The Supreme State Security prosecution renewed the detention of economic expert Abdel Khaleq Farouk – who announced his hunger strike starting on 9 January – for 15 days pending investigations into Case No. 4937 of 2024, Supreme State Security, on the same charges.

The Supreme State Security prosecution renewed the detention of citizen/ Ahmed Salah Ismail Othman for 15 days pending investigations into Case No. 3434 of 2024 State Security, and citizen/ Ahmed Gamal Ahmed pending investigations into Case No. 2490 of 2024 on the same charges.

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber -I, held at Badr Prison considered a session to renew the detention of hundreds of citizens pending cases Nos. 930 of 2019, 1530 of 2019, 812 of 2020, 440 of 2022, 1042 of 2022 (copied from 420 of 2017), 1096 of 2022, 1394 of 2022, 1893 of 2022, 2032 of 2022, 2 of 2023 (copied from 1660 of 2022), 185 of 2023, 191 of 2023, 260 of 2023, 508 of 2023, 744 of 2023, 1001 of 2023, 1973 of 2023, 2125 of 2023, 2154 of 2023, 2727 of 2023, 3535 of 2023, 165 of 2024, 664 of 2024, 977 of 2024, 1281 of 2024, 1408 of 2024, 1568 of 2024, including journalists Yasser Abu Al-Ela and Ramadan Guwaida and cartoonist Ashraf Omar, 2801 of 2024, 2803 of 2024. 2024, 3435 of 2024, 3528 of 2024, 3972 of 2024, 3973 of 2024, 4091 of 2024, Supreme State Security.

Wednesday, 8 January

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber -I, held at Badr Prison considered a session to renew the detention of hundreds of citizens pending cases Nos. 316 of 2017, 855 of 2020, 915 of 2021, 633 of 2022, 2135 of 2022, 2183 of 2022, 2514 of 2022, 1233 of 2023, 2152 of 2023, 2469 of 2023, 281 of 2024, 665 of 2024, 2490 of 2024, 3434 of 2024, Supreme State Security

Trials:

Sunday, 5 January

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant, in Case No. 32 of 2021, State Security Felonies, known as the case of Al-Warraq Cell to the session of 16 February 2025.

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 11 defendants, in Case No. 33779 of 2024, Haram Felonies, registered under No. 1501 of 2024, October Felonies, known as the case of October ISIS Cell to the session of 17 February 2025.

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant, in Case No. 11971 of 2024, known as the case of Boulaq ISIS cell to the session of 16 February 2025.

Monday, 6 January

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant, in Case No. 3257 of 2023, known as the case of Marg Terrorist Cell to the session of 20 January 2025.

Saturday, 9 January

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant, in the Case known as the case of the murder of Major General Nabil Farag to the session of 9 February 2025.

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant, in the Case known as the case of Kafr Hakim Church Burning cell to the session of 10 February 2025.

Statements and Information:

The Ministry of Interior denied in a statement on its official Facebook Page, the circulated news on a police officer receiving a sum of money from a person in exchange for not issuing a traffic violation against him.

Thursday, 9 January

The Ministry of Interior denied in a statement on its official Facebook Page, the circulated news on incidents of kidnapping girls in Qena and finding girls without organs in front of a hospital and the spread of female gangs to kidnap girls after drugging them.

Actions of Public Prosecution

During the Whole Week

State Security Prosecution and investigating judges, referred cases numbers 2175 of 2021, 20185 of 2022, 615 of 2020, 2467 of 2021, 484 of 2021, 909 of 2021, 936 of 2021, 580 of 2020, 1053 of 2020 to the Cairo Court of Appeal to determine circuits to consider them.

Legal Comment

Economic expert Abdel Khaleq Farouk announced during the session to renew his pretrial detention in case No. 4937 of 2024, Supreme State Security, that he would go on a hunger strike starting from 9 January. That happened amidst the complete disregard of the prosecution for his complaints about the poor conditions of the prison he is being held in and the lack of health care, especially since he suffers from chronic diseases, in addition to his lack of exposure to the sun well, which threatens his health.

Farouk’s resort to the strike demonstrates the suffering of prisoners from the inhumane conditions in prisons and their deprivation of basic rights, which the Ministry of Interior always denies, without anyone being fooled by its lies.

The detainees in pretrial detention on State Security cases inside the 10th of Ramadan Prison-VI, turned their backs to the court on 8 January. That was a move represents a symbolic cry of protest against the use of prolonged pretrial detention as a punishment. A step which reflects the growing anger among detainees over their continued detention for long periods without a fair trial, as well as the absence of guarantees of fair justice.

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