19 September 2024
AFTE submitted a request to the Attorney General, numbered 60037 for the year 2024, the Technical Office, demanding the immediate release of photographer Hamdy Mokhtar Ali following the expiration of his pretrial detention that was provided for in Article 143 of the Criminal Procedure Code, in case No. 955 for the year 2020, Supreme State Security.
Elzaeem was arrested on January 5, 2021, from his home after completing precautionary measures imposed on him in a case dating back to 2016. He remained forcibly disappeared in an unknown location until he was presented to the Supreme State Security Prosecution on January 16, 2021, which ordered his pretrial detention.
Since that time, Elzaeem has been detained on charges of joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its aims, spreading false news and statements that could harm public security and order, and using a social media account to publish and broadcast false news and statements.
25 October 2023: Criminal Court renews journalist Hamdy Elzaeem’s detention for 45 days despite exceeding the maximum period in pretrial detention
The Criminal Court (First Circuit) renewed the detention of journalist Hamdy Elzaeem for 45 days pending investigations of lawsuit No. 955 of 2020 (Supreme State Security Prosecution), despite having exceeded the maximum period of pretrial detention, as he was arrested on January 4, 2021 from his home, and he has been in custody since that date.
It wasn’t the first time where Elzaeem had been arrested and detained; he was arrested before in 2016 while he was at the Journalists Syndicate, and two years later, the Criminal Court replaced his pretrial detention with precautionary measures, represented by his going to the police station in his place of residence for several days weekly, in which continued to do so until he was arrested again against the same accusations, namely, being a part of a terrorist organization with knowledge of its objectives, spreading false news, and using an account on social media to commit a crime.
5 April 2023
On April 5, the Criminal Court (First Circuit) decided to renew the detention of journalist Hamdy Mokhtar, known as “Hamdy Elzaeem,” for 45 days pending investigations of case No. 955 of 2020 (Supreme State Security Prosecution).
Police forces stormed Elzaeem’s house on January 4, 2021, and arrested him; 12 days later after his arrest, he was interrogated before the prosecution, which accused him of joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its objectives, spreading false news, and using an account on social media to commit a crime.
Notably, this arrest incident wasn’t the first of its kind; Elzaeem was arrested in 2016 after filming a press report and was detained for a year and a half.
4 September 2022 “Criminal Court renews the detention of journalist Hamdy Elzaeem and Mohamed Elsaeed Salama for 45 days”
On September 4, the Criminal Court (First Terrorism Criminal Circuit) decided to renew the detention of both journalist Hamdy Elzaeem and Mohamed Elsaeed Mohamed Salama for 45 days in connection with case No. 955 of 2020 (Supreme State Security Prosecution).
A security force arrested Elzaeem on January 4, 2021, he wasn’t brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution till on the 16th day of the same month, while Salama was rotated into the current case after being detained pending two different cases.
Both of them face charges of joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its objectives, spreading false news, and using an account on social media to commit a crime.
9 May 2022 “Criminal Court renews journalist Hamdy Mokhtar’s detention for 45 days”
On Monday, May 9, the Criminal Court (The Third Circuit Terrorsim) decided to renew the detention of photojournalist Hamdy Mokhtar for 45 days, in connection with lawsuit No. 955 of 2020 (Supreme State Security Prosecution).
Mokhtar was arrested on January 4, 2021, after storming his house, he was brought before the State Security Prosecution on day 16 of the same month, which charged him with joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its objectives, spreading false news, and using an account on social media with the aim of spreading false news.
