The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) shares with you the reports, statements, and joint statements it issued over the past month and campaign, in addition to the legal updates of lawsuits in which AFTE provides legal support to prisoners of conscience or to academics who were subjected to abuse and security prosecutions for expressing their opinions.
We always welcome any inquiries or clarifications from everyone through our social media platforms or via the following email: [email protected]
Advocacy
The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression condemned the Egyptian authorities’ refusal to release activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, despite the completion of his five-year sentence, which was set to end today, and calls on the Egyptian authorities to release him immediately and to cease the ongoing persecution due to his critical views.
Alaa Abdel Fattah was arrested on September 28, 2019, and sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly spreading “false news” after reposting a Facebook post accusing a police officer of torture. Despite serving his full sentence, the Egyptian authorities continue to detain him, an act that constitutes a blatant violation of the law. According to his lawyer, Khaled Ali, Alaa Abdel Fattah has not been summoned for any investigation session since the 2021 ruling and has not faced any additional charges. More.
33 organizations, including AFTE, are gravely fearful for the lives of hundreds of prisoners threatened with imminent execution in Saudi Arabia on drugs-related charges, including 33 Egyptians in a single wing of Tabuk Prison. These men are living in a state of terror, since the number of executions for such offenses has spiked in the past two months. Eight men have already been executed for drug-related offenses in Tabuk this year, and 42 in the country as a whole, including three Egyptians.
Although there is no transparency in the Saudi authorities’ handling of executions, independent monitoring of some cases has confirmed a pattern of abuses suffered by several of the condemned men in the course of their arrest and trial. These include the lack of any role for the Egyptian consulate or embassy; defendants not being granted their right to defend themselves adequately; failure to appoint a lawyer for them; and failure to address their representations in court seriously, in addition to their being tortured and mistreated while in detention. More.
Legal Aid
- Hearing for Researcher Ahmed Samir Santawy’s Appeal Against Travel Ban was Postponed till 10 November.
- Release of Mohamed Taha After His Arrest Following His Return from Abroad.
- Doctor Hany Soliman Released After a Year and a Half in Detention for Criticizing the Regime
- The Criminal Court renews the detention of Ahmed Abostit for demonstrating in solidarity with Palestine for 45 days.
- The criminal court renews the detention of student Ahmed El-Toukhy for 45 days in his second case.
- The Criminal Court renewed the detention of human rights lawyer Ahmed Nazeer El-Helw for 45 days after more than one year and a half in pre-trial detention.
- Al-Azhar University Student’s Detention Renewed Over Palestine Supporting Demonstrations.
- At the End of His Sixth Year in Pretrial Detention: Criminal Court Extends Mohamed Saad’s Detention for 45 Days Over Alliance of Hope Lawsuit.
- After Three Years in Pretrial Detention, Criminal Court Renews Moataz Bellah Hasab Elnaby’s detention for 45 days.
- Omar ElDahma’s Detention Renewed Over Participating In Pro-Palestine Demonstrations Last October.
- After 3 Years Behind Bars, Criminal Court Renews Humanitarian Lawyer Saied Ali’s Detention.
- The criminal court renewed Muhammad Zayan’s detention for 45 days because of a video from a conference of former candidate Ahmed Al-Tantawy.
- The criminal court renewed Amr Abdel-Moneim’s detention for 45 days despite exceeding 5 years in pretrial detention.
- The criminal court renewed DMC journalist Karim Salem’s detention for 45 days.
- The criminal court postponed journalist Hassan Al-Qabany’s Lawsuit to 12 November Due to the Prosecution Witness’s Absence for the Fifth Time.
- Detention Renewed for a Student Who Posted a Call for Protests and a Video Supporting Gaza on Social Media.
- Renewal of Detention of 16-Year-Old Arrested in Connection with Calls for July 12 Protests Although He Did Not Publish Any Calls.
- After 9 Months and No Evidence, Abo Sree Detention Renewed.
- After a year in detention, the criminal court renewed the detention of two fans of Al-Ahly football club arrested from Cairo Stadium.
- After two years in prison, the Criminal Court renews Mohamed Amer Abdel Aziz’s detention for 45 days.
- Detention Renewed for Hamed Sedeek, Who has been detained since 2019.
- The Criminal Court renews the detention of Tantawy’s presidential campaign Khaled Abd El-wahed After About 1 Year in Prison.
- Detention Renewed for Citizen Arrested on Ismailia Streets.
- The Criminal Court renews Mahmoud Hanfy’s detention for 45 days despite exceeding 2 years of pretrial detention.
- The criminal court renewed A Contractor Detention For 45 Days.
- The criminal court renewed Mohamed Abdo’s detention for 45 days over criticizing the president’s policies on TikTok.
- The criminal court renewed Sherif Ebrahim’s detention for 45 days over video insulting the Ministry of Interior.
- AFTE submitted a Request to the Attorney General to Release Translator and Political Activist Marwa Arafa After the Pretrial Detention Period Ends.
- AFTE submitted a Request to the Attorney General to Release Photographer Hamdy Elzaeem After the Pretrial Detention Period Ends.
- AFTE submitted a Request to the Attorney General to Release Journalist Karim Ebrahim After the Pretrial Detention Period Ends.
- Detention Renewed for a Mother of Two Due to Facebook Posts on Power Outages.
- Detention of Citizen Returning from the UAE to Visit His Family is Renewed.
- Detention of Academic Ahmed Al-Tomahy Renewed Days After AFTE Submitted a Request to Attorney General to Release Him.
- Detention Renewed for Architect Imprisoned for Over 4 Years, Suffering from Chronic Illnesses.
- After 7 Years in Pretrial Detention, Mohamed Al-Qassas’s Detention Renewed in His Third Case.
- Detention Renewed For Two Zamalek Fans Accused of Joining Al-Ahly Ultras, Designated as a Terrorist Group.
- Journalist Khaled Mamdouh’s Detention Renewed for 15 Days, After More Than Two Months Since the Raid on His Home and His Enforced Disappearance.
- Poet Galal ElBehairy’s Detention Renewed Pending Investigations in his Third Case.
- State Commissioners Reserve Manar Al-Tantawy’s Lawsuit Over Eligibility for Professorship.
- Detention Renewed for Translator and Cartoonist Ashraf Omar for 15 Days After Being Arrested from His Home and Forcibly Disappeared.
- Renewal The Detention of A Citizen Who Posted a Comparison of Commodity Prices Between 2013 and 2024.
- Renewal of Detention of A Citizen Who Criticized Economic Situation and Egypt’s Stance on the Palestinian Issue on Facebook.
- Renewal of Detention of Magdy Awad for 15 days Due to Posts Criticizing the High Prices.
- Renewal of Detention for Islam Abu Saud Due to Facebook Posts Complaining About Power Outages.
- Renewal of Mohamed Ibrahim’s Detention for Facebook Posts About Rising Prices and Difficult Living Conditions.
- Detention Renewed for a Student Who Posted a Call for Protests and a Video Supporting Gaza on Social Media.
Campaigns
AFTE continued its campaign, which began on August 30, the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
On this occasion, AFTE published a video about what exactly is enforced disappearance and why it is a crime. More.
AFTE urges Egyptian authorities to honor the constitution and end this crime, as Egyptian law upholds the right to freedom.
In the context of discussions on the new Criminal Procedure Law, AFTE published speeches by Fatma Serag, Head of the Legal Unit at #AFTE, at the dialogue table held by the Centre for Egyptian Women Legal Assistance about What are the consequences of passing this law, and why do civil society institutions and lawyers reject it so strongly? More.
At the same event, Mokhtar Mounir, a lawyer at AFTE, said, “Drafted secretly as if we live in a country without legal experts.” More.
