AFTE’s weekly legal bulletin (13: 20 November 2022) | The detention of 8 defendants Marwa Arafa and Journalist Manal Agrama renewed

Date : Sunday, 20 November, 2022
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The Prosecutions 

 

November 14 hearings: 

 

The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of three people for 15 days, for their solidarity with the protests of November 11, the deputy director of the Information Technology Department at Al-Akhbar newspaper, Yehia Elsayed Othman, the nursing student at Ain Shams University, Islam Ramadan Kamel and Adel Ahmed Soliman, and 83 years old house guard. Pending investigations of case No. 1893 of 2022 (State Security).

 

Security forces arrested Othman on November 1;  for posting a video about price hikes, while security forces arrested Soliman for posting a video calling for the November 11 demonstrations. 

 

The three of them face charges of joining and financing a terrorist group with their knowledge of its aims, inciting a terrorist act, promoting a terrorist act through social media, spreading false news, and participating in a criminal agreement intended to commit a terrorist act. 

 

The Supreme State Security Prosecution also renewed the detention of journalist and former deputy editor-in-chief of the Radio and Television Magazine, Manal Agrama, for 15 days in connection with case No. 1893 of 2020 (State Security).

The 60 years old Agrama was arrested on November 1,  from her house in the 5th settlement. She faces charges of  joining and financing a terrorist group, inciting a terrorist act, participating in a criminal agreement aimed at committing a terrorist act, and using social media to promote a terrorist act. 

 

The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of 48 years old Gaber Mohamed Badawy for 15 days, in connection with case No. 1977 of 2022 (Supreme State Security). 

Badawy was arrested on October 24 from his house in Alexandria. He’s charged with joining and financing a terrorist group, spreading false news, incitement to commit a terrorist act, and participating in a criminal agreement intended to commit a terrorist act. Against the backdrop of his call of November 11 protests. 

 

On November 16, Borg El-Arab Prosecution renewed the detention of Masters student Moaaz Rizk for 15 days, pending investigations of case No. 6777 of 2022 (Borg El-Arab Administrative). 

Rizk was listed in this case after he was stopped and searched at a police checkpoint in Alexandria, the investigations authorities charged him with  joining a terrorist group and possessing publications that promote its ideas.

 

Criminal Courts

 

On November 14, the Criminal Court (2nd Terrorism Circuit) renewed the detention of translator Marwa Arafa for 45 days, in connection with case No. 570 of 2020 Supreme State Security. 

Security forces arrested Arafa on April 20, 2020, she was subjected to enforced disappearance for two weeks before she appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution which charged her with joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes and committing a financing crime for a terrorist purpose. It should be noted that Arafa exceeded the legal period of pretrial detention, and her detention is still pending renewal without being released. 

 

On November 15, the Criminal Court (the Council Chamber) renewed the detention of Mohamed Mamdouh Abdel Halim for 45 days in connection with his second Case No. 855 of 2020 (Supreme State Security).

 Abdel Halim was arrested in November 2019; he was listed into case No. 1331 of 2019 for a year; after his release, he appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution pending the current case against charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media.

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