The Prosecutions
The hearings of September 26:
The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of Journalist Mohamed Fawzy Mosaad, for 15 days, in connection with Case No. 440 of 2022 (State Security). in which he’s charged with joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and inciting a terrorist act against the backdrop of opinion posts he shared on Facebook.
It wasn’t the first time for Mosaad to be targeted by security forces, as he had previously been arrested in December 2018 and faced the exact charges he is currently facing.
In a similar context, the Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of four students for participating in the parody event “Batman Helwan,” who are, Physical therapy student at Heliopolis University, Anas Mahmoud Zahran, Cooperation Institute student Karim Mohamed Refaat, and high school students Mazen Reda and Eslam Nagdy for 15 days in connection with Case No. 440 of 2022.
After many social media users interact with the event, the four students, aged between 17 and 19, were arrested; the Ministry of Interior stated in its statement that they had exploited the volume of interaction to achieve material gains. The four face charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and inciting a terrorist act.
For posting a video clip on Tik Tok while wearing a military uniform; The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of singer El-Amir Fahim Ahmed, for 15 days, in connection with case No. 440 of 2022 (State Security).
Fahim’s performance of a song called “theaters and Cinemas,” which includes political projections, led to him being targeted by security forces and included in the case mentioned above against charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and using social media account to commit a crime.
The hearings of September 27:
The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of activist Sherif El-Rouby for 15 days in connection with case No. 1634 of 2022 (Supreme State Security Prosecution). After only three months of his release within the presidential pardon initiative.
Security forces targeted El-Rouby after participating in a telephone interview in a program broadcast on Al-Jazeera, in which he talked about the political prisoners’ conditions and how they struggle to have a normal life and a job after their release. El-Rouby was charged with joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media.
The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of visual artist and member of the visual artist’s syndicate, Amir Abdel Ghani, for 15 days in connection with Case No. 1635 of 2022 Supreme State Security.
Abdel Ghani was arrested on September 10; he was illegally detained for nine days before he appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, which in turn charged him with joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its aims, spreading false news and statements that would harm public peace and order, and using a social media account to spread false news and statements.
On September 28, South Zagazig Prosecution renewed the detention of Mossab Arafat for 15 days in connection with Case No. 8185 of 2020 (Belbis Misdemeanor).
Security forces arrested Arafat, and he appeared on June 24, 2020, before Zagazig Prosecution in connection with Case No. 2675 of 2020 (Zagazig Misdemeanor); the Court sentenced him to two years in prison which ended on June 25 of the current year, but instead of releasing him; he was rotated in connection with the new case against charges of joining a terrorist group and possessing publications.
Criminal Court
On September 26, Zagazig Criminal Court (the Council Chamber) renewed the detention of Omar Mahmoud Al-Hout for 45 days in connection with Case No. 24978 of 2021 (Abo Hamad Misdemeanors).
Al-Hout was arrested on November 23, 2014, while he was a student in the fourth year at the Faculty of Pharmacy, from which he graduated while being in prison. Al-Hout was listed in 6 different cases even after he had several releases order and his pretrial detention exceeded eight years.
Al-Hout’s charges in each case are very similar, and he is currently facing charges of joining a terrorist group and possessing publications promoting its ideas.
State Council Courts
On September 25, The Administrative Judiciary Court (Sixth Circuit Educational) adjourned to next October 16 hearing to examine appeal No. 57029 of 74 filed on behalf of student Omar Mohamed Ali, challenging the decision of dismissing him from Thebes Higher Institute for Engineering; to authorize Ali’s defense to obtain a copy of the military court’s hearings schedules, to prove that the reasons for the student’s dismissal from the institute are due to a compelling excuse and not for dropping out of studies as stated in the institute’s response.
It is noteworthy that Ali was sentenced in Case No. 174 of 2015 (West Cairo Military Felonies) to life imprisonment, and he is serving his sentence in Tora prison, and he wanted to continue his studies architecture studies; however, the institute’s administration decided to dismiss him for dropping out of studies without paying attention to the compelling reasons he is going through.
