Summary:

1. Cairo Criminal Court disconnects contact with economist Abdel Khaleq Farouk during his detention renewal session, as he spoke about the harassment and the abuse he is facing in prison.
2. The Supreme State Security Prosecution released 15 citizens, including the famous blogger “Jordanian Suzy”, on bail pending two cases.
3. Investigating 5 citizens in Sharqia, on charge of terrorism, and then remanding them in custody.
4. Release of 7 citizens after receiving a National Security alert.
5. Referring case No. 7171 of 2024 Supreme State Security to the Cairo Court of Appeals to determine a hearing.

Details

I.                Prosecution Investigations:

• Supreme State Security Prosecution:

During the bulletin’s coverage period; State Security Prosecution investigated dozens of citizens, including the child Mohamed Khaled Gomaa Abdel Aziz, after reappearing from periods of enforced disappearance for varying periods, and under the Anti-Terrorism Law and then remanded them in custody.

• Public Prosecution:

Sunday, 9 March

• Belbeis Prosecution in Sharqia investigated Samir al-Naggar, Ahmed Nasr, and Mohamed Basem Abdel, after arresting them from their homes and accusing them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news and statements.

Monday, 10 March

1. Ibrahimia Prosecution in Sharqia investigated Hisham Abdel Hafez Al-Said and Gamal al-Sawi, after arresting them from their homes, accusing them of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news and statements and then kept them in pretrial detention.

II.             Detention Renewal:

Sunday, 9 March

• The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of Ahmed Sirag for 15 days pending case No. 8 of 2025, Supreme State Security, on charges of joining a terrorist group and publishing false news and statements.

Monday, 10 March

• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber -I, held at Badr Prison considered a session to renew the detention of hundreds of citizens pending cases Nos. 460 of 2020, 1017 of 2020, 2174 of 2021, 2032 of 2022, 294 of 2023, 440 of 2023, 585 of 2023, 1001 of 2023, 1160 of 2023, 1233 of 2023, 2125 of 2023, 2464 of 2023, 2727 of 2023, 2902 of 2023, 2903 of 2023, 3388 of 2023, 3535 of 2023, 523 of 2024, 755 of 2024, and 1138 of 2023. 2024, 2285 of 2024, 3817 of 2024, 4240 of 2024, 4278 of 2024, 4400 of 2024, 4937 of 2024, including economic expert Abdel Khaleq Farouk, 4940 of 2024, 5053 of 2024, 5055 of 2024, Supreme State Security.

Tuesday, 11 March

• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber -I, held at Badr Prison considered a session to renew the detention of hundreds of citizens pending cases Nos. Cases 376 of 2012, 385 of 2017, 623 of 2018, 467 of 2020, 535 of 2020, 812 of 2020, 880 of 2020, 440 of 2022, 573 of 2022, 1635 of 2022, 1893 of 2022, 2 of 2023 (copied from 1660 of 2022), 86 of 2023, 191 of 2023, 260 of 2023, 330 of 2023, 392 of 2023, 453 of 2023, 641 of 2023, 860 of 2023, 1467 of 2023, 1976 of 2023, 2123 of 2023, 2124 of 2023, 2194 of 2023, 2635 of 2023, 3277 of 2023, 3459 of 2023, 166 of 2024, 757 of 2024, 784 of 2024, 952 of 2024, 977 of 2024, 1410 of 2024, 1568 of 2024, including both cartoonist Ashraf Omar and journalists Yasser Abu Al-Ela and Ramadan Guwaida, 1938 of 2024, 2802 of 2024, 2803 of 2024, 2808 of 2024, 2809 of 2024. Of 2024, 4092 of 2024, 4279 of 2024, 4356 of 2024, 4473 of 2024, 4708 of 2024, 4939 of 2024, 5054 of 2024, Supreme State Security

III.           Acquittal:

Sunday, 9 March

• Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo decided to acquit 15 citizens on bail. They are Ashraf Khairat Salim Muhammad, Ashraf Muhammad Bakhit Abd Rabbuh, Gamal Zakaria Hussein Abdullah, Hussein Rajab Hussein Omran, Rae’d Ahmed Ibrahim Ismail, Sherif Muhammad Bakhit Abd Rabbuh, Abdel Khaleq Zein El-Din Mahmoud Awad, Arafa Mahmoud Sabra El-Said, Alaa Khalaf Hamouda Hilal, Muhammad Abu Kashif El-Sayed Muhammad, Muhammad Khalaf Abd El-Latif Darar, Muhammad Ali Abd El-Maqsoud Haddad, Muhammad Ali Muhammad Abd El-Latif, and Wagdi Abd El-Samee Thabet Abd El-Hakim in Case No. 1516 of 2023 State Security, and Mariam Ayman Muhammad El-Dasuki in Case No. 925 of 2025 Supreme State Security..

IV.          Release:

Sunday, 9 March

1. The security forces Belbeis Police Station in Sharqia released 5 citizens after completing the procedures of their release and receiving the signal from National Security. They are Islam Othman, Ahmed Saeed Nasr, Mohamed Awad Shabtan, Khaled Abdel Moneim Saleh, and Salah Mohamed.

Wednesday, 12 March

• The security forces Menia Al-Qamh Police Station in Sharqia released Bahaa Samir and Mahmoud Sirag, after completing the procedures of their release and receiving the signal from National Security.

V.             Trials:

Sunday, 9 March

• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Appeals-II, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant, in the case known as the case of the Kafr Hakim Church Events to the session of 15 April 2025.
• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant, in Case No. 51592 of 2013, Suez Felonies, known as the case of the Suez Terrorist Cell to the session of 12 April 2025.
• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 58 defendants, in Case No. 1235 of 2023, known as the case of the Omrania Cell to the session of 2 April 2025.

Monday, 10 March

• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 7 defendants, in Case No. 12851 of 2024, known as the case of he “Currency Smuggling Cell” to the session of 29 April 2025.
• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 4 defendants, in Case No. 1443 of 2015, Total Giza, known as the case of the “Nahda Sit-in Dispersal Case”, to the session of 12 May 2025.
• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-II, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant, in Case No. 289 of 2023, Boulaq Felonies, on charges of joining a terrorist group in Boulaq Al-Dakrour, to the session of 12 May 2025.

Tuesday, 11 March

• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 9 defendants, in the Case no. 13555 of 2024, Helwan Criminal Court, known as the case of Delta State ISIS Cell to the session of 10 May 2025.
• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-III, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 5 defendants, in the Case no. 14406 of 2024, Helwan Criminal Court, known as the case of Helwan ISIS Cell Case to the session of 27 April 2025.

Saturday, 15 March

• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison decided to extend the verdict of 2 defendants, in the Case no. 48 of 2024, known as the case of Sohag ISIS Cell Case to the session of 14 June 2025.
• Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber-I, held in Badr Prison postponed the retrial of 1 defendant, in the Case no. 45369 of 2024, Haram Felonies, on charges of joining a terrorist group and possessing explosives to the session of 14 June 2025.

VI.          Statements and Information:

Thursday, 13 March

• The Public Prosecution issued a statement posted on its official Facebook page regarding the referral of Case No. 7171 of 2024, Supreme State Security, to the Cairo Court of Appeals to determine a chamber to hear the case.

Legal Comment

The State Security Prosecution investigated Mohamed Khaled Gomaa Abdel Aziz, a 15-year-old third-year middle school student, after he had been arrested from his grandmother’s home in the Mataria district of Cairo. He was charged with joining a terrorist group and spreading false news, and then placed in pretrial detention. This raises serious questions about the commitment of authorities to laws protecting children rights.

Child Law No. 12 of 1996 (amended by Law No. 186 of 2023) stipulates that children shall not be tried before exceptional courts, while ensuring that safeguards appropriate to their age are provided.

Therefore, the referral of a minor to the State Security Prosecution, known for its wide-ranging charges, sends a disturbing message about the use of anti-terrorism laws to undermine the rule of law and the right to a fair trial before a civil court.

Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Camber at Badr Prison cut off communication with economist Abdel Khaleq Farouk during his detention renewal hearing on 10 March, when he spoke about the abuses he has been subjected to inside his cell.

This constitutes a violation of rights of the detainees and guarantees of fair trial, since denying a detainee the opportunity to speak about the conditions he suffers inside prison before the court not only reflects a violation of the rights of the defense, but indicates a deliberate attempt to conceal abuses inside detention facilities from judicial oversight and public opinion as well, with either the complicity or silence of the judicial authorities.