The detention of TV presenter Hala Fahmy and 12 others was renewed; Administrative Judiciary Court annuls the negative decision not to grant Manar Al-Tantawy professorship
Criminal Courts
August 28 hearings:
The Criminal Court (Third Terrorism Circuit) renewed the detention of Ahmed Maher Ezzat, known as “Rigo,” for 45 days in connection with case No. 855 of 2020 Supreme State Security. The second case he has been listed in since his arrest in May 2020.
Rigo faces charges of joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its aims, Using social media to commit the crime of spreading false news.
The Criminal Court (The Council Chamber) renewed the detention of Mohamed Mamdouh Abdel Halim for 45 days in connection with case No. 855 of 2020 (Supreme State Security).
Abdel Halim was arrested in November 2019. After his arrest, he was listed in two different cases, and faced charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media.
The Criminal Court (the Council Chamber) renewed the detention of Wessam Salah for 45 days in connection with Case No. 93 of 2022 (Supreme State Security Prosecution).
On January 20, Security forces arrested Salah from his house in Sidi Bishr in Alexandria governorate; he was illegally detained for two weeks till he appeared before the prosecution, which in turn charged him with joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and using a social media account to spread the false news and statements.
In the same context, the Criminal Court (Second Terrorism Circuit) renewed the detention of Mahmoud Hanfy Mohamed for 45 days in connection with case No. 93 of 2022 (Supreme State Security Prosecution).
Hanfy was arrested from his house in Qena. On February 22, he appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution pending the current case, which in turn charged him with spreading false news, joining a terrorist group, and using an account on social media to spread false news.
August 29 hearings:
The Criminal Court (Third Criminal Terrorism Circuit ) renewed the detention of Al-Jazeera’s journalist Rabea Elsheikh for 45 days in connection with case No. 1365 of 2018 State Security.
Elsheikh was arrested at Cairo Airport while returning from Qatar, and he faces charges of joining a terrorist group, financing the activities of that group, and spreading false news.
The same circuit of the Criminal Court renewed the detention of journalist Tawfiq Ghanem for 45 days in connection with case No. 238 of 2021 (Supreme State Security Prosecution). Ghanem was arrested from his house in the 6th of October district on May 21, 2021. He faces charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media to commit a crime.
Supreme State Security Prosecution
August 29 hearings:
The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of student El-Amir Fahim Ahmed, the four participant students in the Batman Helwan event, Physical therapy student Anas Mahmoud Zahran, Cooperation Institute student Karim Mohamed Refaat, high school student Mazen Reda, high school student Eslam Nagdy, and Journalist Mohamed Fawzy Mosaad, for 15 days, in connection with Case No. 440 of 2022 (State Security).
The defendants face charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and using a social media account to commit a crime.
On August 31, the Supreme State Security Prosecution, for the 10th time, renewed the detention of Tv presenter Hala Fahmy, for 15 days, in connection with Case No. 441 of 2022 (Supreme State Security).
Fahmy was arrested against the backdrop of posting videos on Facebook about the Egyptian economy. The former Tv presenter at the National Media Authority faces charges of joining a terrorist group, incitement to commit a terrorist crime, and spreading false news domestically and abroad.
State Council Courts
On August 28, the Administrative Judiciary Court (Sixth Circuit Educational) adjourned to the next September 25 hearing to examine appeal No. 57029 of 74 held on behalf of detained student Omar Mohamed Ali.
The court’s decision to adjourn the appeal came for the student’s defense to submit a certificate stating the period of his detention; The events date back to when the student – was convicted in connection with Case. No. 174 of 2015 (West Cairo Military Felonies) with life imprisonment- submitted requests to Thebes Institute’s administration more than once to allow him to resume his studies inside his prison cell. However, the institute permanently dismissed him for dropping out of his studies.
On August 30, the Administrative Judiciary Court (Circuit 17) ruled to annul the negative decision not to grant Manar Al-Tantawy the professorship and to accept Appeal No. 61520 of 75 filed on her behalf against both The Minister of Higher Education and the Dean of the Higher Technological Institute in the 10th of Ramadan City.
Al-Tantawi fulfilled all the technical and procedural conditions that qualify her for the position of Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Institute; however, she faced intransigence from the Institute’s dean in returning to her official position, the administration of the Higher Technological Institute explained that the Ministry of Higher Education is the reason for refusing to grant Al-Tantawy the professorship. On the other side, the Ministry attributed the reasons for the refusal to the lack of security approval as Al-Tantawy is the wife of the former prisoner of conscience and journalist Hisham Jaafar.
