Observatory of Justice in Egypt 30 August – 5 September, 2026

Summary:

1. State Security Prosecution renews the detention of human rights lawyer Mohamed Abu Al-Diyar and director Omar Salah pending investigations into alleged terrorism-related cases.
2. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chambers, held at Badr Prison oversees the trials of 224 citizens across 9 cases.
3. The Ministry of Interior denies claims by activist Solafa Magdy regarding abuses she allegedly suffered while in custody in 2019.
4. The Public Prosecutor visits the Wadi El Natrun Prison Complex.
5. Transfer of 15 detainees from Abu Hammad and Menia al-Qamh police stations to Damanhour and Menia maximum-security prisons.
6. Zagazig Criminal Court orders the acquittal of 18 citizens.

Details

1. Prosecution Investigations:

• Supreme State Security Prosecution:

During the bulletin’s coverage period; State Security Prosecution investigates dozens of citizens, who reappeared following varying periods of enforced disappearance, under the Anti-Terrorism Law and remanded in custody.

• Public Prosecution:

Thursday, 3 September

1. Zagazig Total police Prosecution in Sharqia investigated 7 citizens following appearing from enforced disappearance of various periods, on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news and statements and then placed them in pretrial detention. They are Moaz Mustafa Mujahid, Mohamed Yasser Abdel Rahman, Nidal Amin Abdullah, Ahmed Hanafi, Hassan Hamdi, Ahmed Mustafa, and Alaa Samir.
2. Awlad Saqr Partial Prosecution in Sharqia interrogated citizen Sayed Gamal following his arrest from his home, on charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news and statements and then placed him in pretrial detention.
3. Rotation:

Monday, 31 August

1. Belbeis Partial Prosecution in Sharqia Obstructed the procedures of the acquittal of 3 citizens, placed them in 1-month enforced disappearance, charged them again with joining a terrorist group, and then remanded them in custody. They are Ahmed El-Gendi, Mahmoud Amir, and Abdel-Rahman Fawzi.

Thursday, 3 September

1. Zagazig Partial Prosecution in Sharqia interrogated Citizen Fares Tantawi following the obstruction of his acquittal procedures then a 1-month enforced disappearance, then charged him with joining a terrorist group and disseminating false news and statements and remanded him in custody.
2. Renewal of Detention:

Sunday, 30 August

1. Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of human rights lawyer and rapporteur of the Committee for the Defense of Prisoners of Conscience, Mohamed Abu Al-Diyar, on charges of joining a terrorist group, committing the crime of financing terrorism, and disseminating false news and statements.
2. Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention student Marwan Mounir for 15 days in Supreme State Security Case No. 4488 of 2026, on charges of joining a terrorist group and disseminating false news and statements.

Monday, 31 August

1. Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of director Omar Salah Marei for 15 days in Case No. 3383 of 2026, State Security, on charges of joining a terrorist group.
2. Acquittal:

Sunday, 30 August

1. Zagazig Criminal Court, Terrorism Chamber, in Sharqia ordered the acquittal of 18 individuals, on bail of their place of residence.Ahmed Saeed Ahmed Abdel-Muttalib, Abdel-Azim Mohamed Saeed, Ahmed El-Saeed Fathy, Ahmed Abdel-Basit Mohamed Mohamad, Abdullah Mahmoud Mohamed Shehata, Ahmed Gouda Mohamed Rashad, Hisham Ibrahim Helmy, Ahmed Mohamed El-Sayed Ayoub, Bilal Mohamed Morsi, Anas Hosni El-Najjar, Ahmed Mamdouh Abu Bakr, Ahmed El-Sayed Abdel-Jawad, Abdel-Rahman Magdy Mohamed Mohamad, Khaled Mohamed Sayed Ahmed Amara, Sameh El-Sayed Mahmoud El-Ashri, Assem Abdel-Rahman Abdel-Salam Rady, Reda Mohamed Sabry, and Abu Bakr Mamdouh Abu Bakr.
2. Trials:

In trials that lacked the most important standard and guarantees of a fair and just trial, which are the principle of publicity of trials, as well as depriving some defendants from attending the sessions and separating the defendants from their lawyers, Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chambers I and II – during the period covered by the bulletin – held the trials of about 224 citizens in 9 cases, the details of which are as follows:

Saturday, 5 September

1. Cairo Criminal Court, Terrorism Chambers-I, headed by Judge Mohamed Saeed El-Sherbini, with the membership of Judges Wael Omran and Gharib Ezzat, postponed the trial of 62 defendants, in Case No. 5604 of 2025, Nasr City-I, to the session on September 6, 2026, for the defense’s closing arguments.
2. Same Chamber postponing the trial of 29 defendants, in Case No. 15100 of 2024, Nasr City-I, known in the media as the Currency Cell” case—to October 21, 2026, for the defense’s closing arguments.
3. Same Chamber postponed the trial of 71 defendants, in Case No. 3768 of 2025, 5^th Settlement, known in the media as the 5^th Settlement Cell case, to the session on October 20, 2026, for the defense’s closing arguments.
4. Same Chamber postponed the trial of 1 defendant in Case No. 4155 of 2025, Omrania, known in the media as the Omrania ISIS Cell case, to the session on September 9, 2026, to secure the defendant’s presence from detention.
5. Same Chamber postponed the retrial procedures of 56 defendants in Case No. 4927 of 2026, Boulaq Al-Dakrour, known in the media as the Boulaq Cell case, to the sentencing session on November 2, 2026.
6. Same Chamber postponed the trial of 1 defendant establishing and assuming leadership of a terrorist group in Case No. 3025 of 2026, 5^th Settlement, pending the attendance of a social worker.
7. Same Chamber postponed the retrial procedures of 1 defendant, in the Case No. 1066 of 2026, Manshia Al-Qanater, known in the media as the Manshia Al-Qanater ISIS Cell Case to the sentencing session on December 5, 2026.
8. Same Chamber postponed the retrial procedures of 1 defendant, in Case No. 653 of 2021, 5^th Settlement State Security, known in the media as the Joker Case to the session on September 9, 2026, to secure the defendant’s presence.
9. Same Chamber postponed the trial of 2 defendants in Case No. 13412 of 2025, Dar Al-Salam, known in the media as the Dar Al-Salam Cell case, to the sentencing session on December 5, 2026.
10. October 28, 2026, to hear the first prosecution witness.
11. Statements and Data:

Monday, 31 August

1. The Ministry of Interior denied in a statement posted on its Facebook page, allegations made by journalist and former prisoner of conscience Solafa Magdy on her own Facebook page, where she had claimed her mistreatment by a doctor and others while undergoing a medical examination during her detention in 2019. In its statement—contrary to the facts—the Ministry asserted that the activist had been imprisoned in execution of a court ruling issued against her.

Thursday, 3 September

1. Ministry of Interior denied in a statement posted on its Facebook page, allegations made in a circulating video by a woman claiming her husband had died due to torture at a police station in Giza. The Ministry asserted that the death resulted from his pre-existing medical conditions—specifically diabetes and hypertension—noting that he had felt unwell and was transported to the hospital for necessary treatment but subsequently passed away.
2. Prison News:

Wednesday, 26 August

1. Security forces in Sharqia transferred 11 prisoners from Abu Hammad and Menia al-Qamh police stations to Menia maximum-security prison. They are Huzaifa al-Mentawai, Ashraf Abu al-Futouh, Abdel-Halim Qabil, Ahmed Nasser, Khaled Ali Abdel-Rahim, Abdullah Essam, Adel Rashad al-Jamal, Mahmoud Ibrahim Ali, Marwan Hassan Gharib, Ali Maher, and Mohamed Salah al-Din.

Tuesday, 1 September

1. Security forces in Sharqia transferred 4 prisoners from Abu Hammad and Menia al-Qamh police stations to Damanhour maximum-security prison. They are Ahmed Gharib, Omar Abdel-Badi, Yasser Mohamed, and Ahmed Abdel-Shafi.

Wednesday, 2 September

1. Public Prosecutor Counselor Mohamed Shawqi, accompanied by a team of Public Prosecution members, conducted an inspection visit to Wadi El Natrun Prison Complex to assess the conditions of the inmates, living standards, and the care provided to them. During the visit, he inspected the inmate wards.
2. Al-Shehab Center for Human Rights reported on its Facebook page regarding the deteriorating living conditions within Abu Zaabal Prison-II and IV, prompting a large number of inmates to declare a hunger strike in protest against arbitrary restrictions and the deprivation of basic necessities.

8. Parties of Justice:
9. Public Prosecution.

Tuesday, 1 September

the Public Prosecution announced, in a statement posted on its Facebook page, the launch of an electronic inquiry service for family law cases and the judgments issued therein.