AFTE’s Newsletter: February 2023

Date : Wednesday, 1 March, 2023

In February, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) monitored Egypt’s state and problems of freedom of thought and expression. Through its various units’ activities, AFTE issued reports and a statement, and undersigned a joint statement with other human rights organizations. these activities aimed to take a deeper look at some of the issues of freedom of thought and expression currently raised, and provided legal aid in cases related to freedom of thoughts and expression.

1. Publications

The human rights situation in Egypt has witnessed systematic and continuous violations, freedom of expression has been subjected to restrictions and violations through security crackdowns that affected most segments of society for expressing their opinions or opposing the various government policies. Journalists came on top of the targeted segments. They are still prisoners report is based on interviews conducted with 13 journalists who were previously imprisoned over their journalistic work.

“They have no presence!” paper is based on some human rights reports and studies that tackled the situation of the LGBT community in Egypt and the violations committed against them, as well as an analysis of the media behaviour in the aftermath of the rainbow flag incident. It also relied on news reports published during the period from 2005 until now.

2. Joint Statements

AFTE undersigned a statement titled Egypt: Release Prison Population Figures Lack of Transparency, Whitewashing Efforts as Abuse Continues along with eight human rights NGOs calling the Egyptian authorities to increase transparency by making essential figures about the country’s detainee population public, particularly how many people have been kept in custody in recent years under the nationwide crackdown on dissent.

3. Legal Aid

– Because of Facebook posts; Supreme State Security Prosecution renews Ahmed Abdel Mageed Oraby’s detention for 15 days
– Khaled Mohamed Mahmoud released under guarantee of his place of residence
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews the detention of journalist Manal Agrama for 15 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews four defendants’ pretrial detention for 15 days for calling to November 11 demonstration
– Journalist Mohamed Fawzy Mosaad released under the guarantee of his residence place
– Despite exceeding legal pretrial detention period; Criminal Court renews Marwa Arafa’s detention for 45 days
– Because of Facebook posts; Supreme State Security Prosecution renews the detention of Hussein Shehata and journalist Ahmed Abdel Majid for 15 days
– Criminal Court renews the detention of four students for 45 days; for participating in the “Batman of Helwan” event
– Criminal Court renews the detention of journalist Tawfiq Ghanem for 45 days
– Criminal Court renews Amr Abdel-Moneim’s detention for 45 days
– Criminal Court renews the detention of student Mohamed Ahmed Saad for 45 days
– Court of Cassation dismisses Mawaddah al-Adham’s appeal and upholds her 6-year prison verdict
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews the detention of human rights lawyer Ahmed Nazeer El-Helw for 15 days
– Criminal Court renews Mohamed Mamdouh Abdel Halim’s detention for 45 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews the detention of Ziad Abo El-Fadl, Khaled Abdel Mohsen, and Ahmed Abou Elsoud for 15 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews doctor Hamed Sedeek’s detention for 15 days pending his second case
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews Mohamed Raafat Nasr’s detention for 15 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews Mohamed Abdel Aal Abou El-Dahab’s detention for 15 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews Mohamed Mahmoud Abou Mandour’s detention for 15 days; because of Facebook posts
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews Ahmed Oraby’s detention for 15 days
– Criminal Court renews Mohamed Mahfouz Abdul Latif’s detention for 45 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews the detention of 4 defendants for 15 days; for sharing political posts
– Criminal Court renews Socialist Popular Alliance Party member Wessam Salah’s detention for 45 days
– Criminal Court renews Ahmed Hassanein Mohamed Moussa’s pretrial detention for 45 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews the detention of Ziad Abo El-Fadl, Khaled Abdel Mohsen, and Ahmed Abou Elsoud for 15 days
– Criminal Court renews student Estshhad Kamal Rezk’s detention for 45 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews Mohamed Raafat Nasr’s detention for 15 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews doctor Hamed Sedeek’s detention for 15 days
– Supreme State Security Prosecution renews Mohamed Abdel Aal Abou El-Dahab’s detention for 15 days
– After his release was dismissed; Borg El-Arab Prosecution renews Moaaz Rizk’s detention for 15 days

Latest Update

AFTE condemns the detention of Rajia Omran, Chairwoman of its Board of Trustees, after she participates in a solidarity event with women in Palestine

AFTE’s Weekly Legal Bulletin (14:21 April 2024)|: Continuing the detention of two accused of demonstrating in solidarity with Palestine, the Criminal court renewed the imprisonment of a human rights lawyer and a student, and Shebin Al-Qanater’s misdemeanor acquitted Ahmed Al-Sawaf of the charge of escaping from police surveillance

AFTE files a lawsuit against the Faculty of Arts at Banha University for its refusal to appoint a teaching assistant despite her eligibility

AFTE’s Weekly Legal Bulletin (7:14 April 2024)|: Release of two defendants who were arrested for participating in pro-Gaza demonstrations in front of the Journalists Syndicate and renewal of the detention of a mosque’s custodian pending investigations

Supreme State Security releases Ahmed Abdel Karim after his arrest for participating in a protest against the war in Gaza

State Security Prosecution Released Mustafa Ramadan who is imprisoned due to his participation in a demonstration of solidarity with Palestine in front of the Journalists Syndicate