Supreme State Security Prosecution
January 29 hearing
The Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to detain two social media content creators, Mohamed Hossam El-Din, known as “Bessa,” and Basma Hegazy, known as “Warda,” for 15 days, pending investigations into case No. 184 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
Bessa and Warda’s arrest came after a sarcastic video of them called “the visit” went viral, where Bessa plays the role of a prisoner while his girlfriend is visiting him; nearly 8 million users viewed the video via Facebook, and the prosecution interrogated them about this video. Bessa and Warda face charges of joining a terrorist group, committing the crime of financing terrorism, spreading false news and information, and using social media accounts to spread false news and information.
The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of human rights lawyer Ahmed Nazeer El-Helw, for 15 days. Pending investigations into case No. 1940 of 2022 (Supreme State Security). El-Helw was illegally detained for five days after his arrest took place on November 7. He faces charges of joining a terrorist group against his human rights work.
January 30 hearings
The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed Mohamed Raafat Nasr’s detention for 15 days, pending investigation of case No. 1977 of 2022 (Supreme State Security).
Nasr works in a shop in Alexandria; he was arrested on November 2 and faces charges of joining a terrorist group, committing the crime of financing terrorism, using social media to call for a terrorist act, participating in a criminal agreement intended to commit a terrorist crime, incitement to commit a terrorist crime, publishing and spreading false news and information.
In a similar context, the Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of Agricultural engineer Ashraf Ali Elgamal for 15 days, pending investigations of case No. 1977 of 2022. Elgamal’s arrest came after he posted posts about price hikes.
Elgamal faces charges of joining a terrorist group, financing a terrorist group, spreading false news, participating in a criminal agreement to commit a terrorist act, promoting a terrorist act, and incitement to commit a terrorist act.
The Supreme State Security Prosecution also renewed Mohamed Abdel Aal Abou El-Dahab’s detention for 15 days, pending investigations of case No. 2094 of 2022 (Supreme State Security).
Abou El-Dahab was arrested on November 10; four days later, he appeared before the prosecution against charges of joining a terrorist group, committing the crime of financing terrorism, using social media to promote a terrorist act, participating in a criminal agreement to commit a terrorist crime (demonstrations), inciting to commit a terrorist crime (demonstrations), and spreading false news and statements.
On January 31 hearing, the Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of the doctor at the National Research Center, Hamed Sedeek, for 15 days, in connection with a new case in which he was included, No. 2207 of 2021.
Sedeek spent more than three years in pretrial detention pending case No. 1356 of 2019. After his release, the Public Prosecution decided to re-imprison him in the current case on the same charges he previously faced, which are joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media.
On February 2, the Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed Ahmed Abdel Mageed Oraby’s detention for 15 days, pending investigations of case No. 2094 of 2022 (Supreme State Security).
The Prosecution confronted Oraby with several posts he wrote on social media expressing his political opinions; he was charged with joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its aims, committing the crime of financing terrorism, inciting to commit a terrorist crime, participating in the criminal agreement to commit a terrorist crime, spreading false news and information, and using an account on the Internet to commit a terrorist crime.
Criminal Courts
On January 31, the Criminal Court (3rd circuit) renewed the detention of political activist Sherif El-Rouby, for 45 days, pending investigations of case No. 1634 of 2022 (State Security).
Security forces arrested El-Rouby on September 16, only three months of his release, after expressing the suffering of the released political detainees. He faces the same charges he faced before, which are joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media.
State Council Courts
On January 31, the Administrative Court decided to accept the appeal filed by AFTE on behalf of Hagar Ismael Hanafy and to annul Cairo University’s negative decision to refrain from appointing her as a teaching assistant because there was no security approval for her appointment.
The association for freedom of thoughts and expression filed the appeal in July 2021 against the faculty of science at Cairo University, challenging its dean’s decision to refrain from appointing Hagar to the university, despite being one of the top students and fulfilling all the requirements that qualify her to obtain the position.
The Court stated in the ground of its judgment the illegality of requiring to obtain security approval to occupy any public positions and that universities have no right to refrain from appointing someone based on the security authorities’ opinions.
