Supreme State Security Prosecution
The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of the two content creators, Ahmed Tarek Hassanein and Basma Hegazy, for extra 15 days pending investigations of lawsuit No. 184 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
With the implementation of the detention renewal decision, the two content creators known as “Chocolate” and “Warda” enter the 5th month of their pretrial detention for participating in a parody video that has no political orientation or purpose, and all those who participated in the video were also arrested during the last week of January. And they face accusations 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.
Criminal Courts
On May 31, the Criminal Court (Third Circuit) renewed the detention of the 40 years old, employee at a food company, Mohamed Mahmoud Abou Mandour, for 45 days pending investigations of lawsuit No. 2216 of 2022 (State Security).
Abou Mandour didn’t commit any crime. Despite this, he has been in pretrial detention for six months and was subjected to physical torture after his arrest for two weeks because he expressed political opinions. He faces accusations of joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its aims, committing the crime of financing terrorism, inciting to commit a terrorist act, spreading false news and information that would disturb public peace and order, and using an account on social media to commit a terrorist crime.
AFTE’s reports to the Public Prosecutor
On the 1st of June, The Association of Freedom of Thoughts and Expression submitted a report to the Public Prosecutor’s office on behalf of poet Jalal Al-Behairi after he escalated his hunger strike and abstaining from food and heart and depression medications which he started on March 5, to a full strike of water and fluids. AFTE demanded a speedy investigation into this incident, quickly provided Al-Behairi with proper health care as the complete strike poses a danger to his life, and releasing him under any guarantees.
It should be noted that AFTE submitted a previous report on March 5, asking the Public Prosecutor for the same demands, but none were responded to. Al-Behairi began his hunger strike at the beginning of his sixth year in prison, even after obtaining a release in one lawsuit, and serving a three-year prison sentence in another one, only to be re-accused into a third lawsuit in which he’s still detained since 2021 against accusations of joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes and spreading and broadcasting false news and statements that would harm public security.
