Name: Osama Gaber Mohamed (Osama A-Bashbishi)
Occupation: Journalist
Place of work: Baladi news agency
Date of arrest: 26 September 2016
Legal status: Precautionary detention, renewable by Cairo criminal court
Place of detention: Tora prison complex – Tora investigation prison
Case number: 15060/2016 Kasr El Nil misdemeanor
One of three journalists who were arrested while interviewing citizens in the surroundings of the journalists’ syndicate on Monday, 26 September 2016. They were taken to Kasr El Nil police station where they were physically assaulted and denied communication with their lawyer. The following day they were brought to the Central Cairo prosecution which ordered their detention for 15 days pending investigations in case no. 15060/2016 Kasr El Nil misdemeanor. They were accused of joining a terrorist group, dissemination of false news, harming national unity and social peace and calling for demonstration without permission.
On 18 October 2016 the Central Cairo casualty prosecution refused an appeal of the detention order of journalist Mohamed Hassan since he is a university student in the first year, Al-Gazira Institute for Information systems and the academic year had started. However the prosecution ordered an extension fo the detention of the three journalists. On 19 January 2017 after 5 consecutive renewals of detention by the general prosecution the Cairo central prosecution decided to refer the case to state security prosecution.
On 19 March 2017, the Cairo criminal court, fifth circuit (terrorism) decided to release the three journalists with precautionary measures. However, the Central Cairo prosecution appealed the decision. On 21 March 2017 South Cairo criminal court, circuit 28 (terrorism) presided by judge Hassan FArid decided to accept the appeal by the prosecution and ordered their detention for further 45 days. In the most recent renewal, the South Cairo criminal court, circuit 10 ruled their continued detention for 45 days. The three journalists have been n pretrial detention for 15 months without trial.
