On the 1st of April police authorities in Kafr El sheikh arrested Omneyya Taha Ahmed, student in FAclty of engineering and Sarah Mohamed Ibrahim, student in workers university,claiming they have been distribution posters carrying the slogans “Long Live Egypt” and “6th of April.. the day of anger).
The prosecution interrogated the two students on the following day (2nd April) and accused them of threatening stable and established constitutional and social norms, disruption of social harmony and peace, inciting public employees to strike. It ordered an extension of their detention until the following day, when the prosecution received police intelligence information claiming that both were provocative elements who incite hatred of the regime and seek to overthrow the regime.
Both Sarah and Omneyya denied the allegations. HMLC network lawyer, Isamil Abou El Yazid contested charges and presented evidence to the contradictions between cir*****stances of arrest and intelligence information. The prosecution ordered a four day extension of their detention, upon which 30 of the 6th April youth group began a sit in in front of the office of the public attorney in Kafr el sheikh demanding the release of Sarah and Omneyya.
Today, 4thof April, the two students were summoned to present in front of the magistrate amidst tight security measures and heavy security presence, where they received a further 15 days extension of their detention. In protest 6th April youth members protested in front of the court house upon which the police arrested between 30 and 40 of them. Among the names are Mohamed Awad, Nour el Din Hamdi, Ahmed Abu Ghieti, Mohamed el Sebai, Medhat Shaker, Amr Amin, Doaa Mohamed, Sarah Ahmed, Shams El Fakhakhry, El Moetasem Bellah Mohamed, Ahmed, Nesma El Tahawi, Gihan Mohamed). Names of detainees are being received as this statement is being drafted. Furthermore lawyers of HMLC and AFTE have been subject to police harassment when they submitted a complaint to the public attorney regarding the random arrests and the aggression against lawyers. The lawyers also appealed the detention orders, expected to be looked into tomorrow in Kafr El Sheikh court house.
HMLC has called upon political and human rights activists to meet tomorrow, Sunday 5th of April at 6 p.m. to coordinate efforts in preparation for the 6th April regarding support to the peaceful forms of protest and responding to police violations expected to escalate until the 6th.
