Supreme State Security Prosecution
On August 23, The Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to detain Gamal Ziada, the father of political activist and journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, for 15 days, pending investigations of lawsuit No. 2064 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
A security force in civilian clothes arrested Ziada from Nahia village, Giza, and during his interrogations the next day, the prosecution did not confront Ziada with any publications proving the accusations leveled against him as his Facebook profile only posts promotional content of his work at a clothing workshop and is free from any political content.
The prosecution accused Ziada of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news and information that would harm security and public order, and using a social media account to spread false news and statements.
Criminal Courts
August 19 hearings:
The Criminal Court (First Circuit) renewed the detention of TV presenter Hala Fahmy for 45 days, pending investigations of lawsuit No. 441 of 2022 (Supreme State Security).
Arafa exceeded 16 months in pretrial detention for expressing her political and economic rights. She was arrested on April 24, 2022. after being subjected to security prosecutions. Fahmy faces accusations of joining a terrorist group, inciting to commit a crime, and spreading false news domestically and abroad.
The Criminal Court (First Circuit) renewed the detention of doctor Hany Soliman, the former marketing manager at Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company, for 45 days pending investigations of case No. 508 of 2023 (Supreme State Security Prosecution).
Security forces arrested the 67 years old Soliman in March 27, after he shared several posts on his Facebook profile expressing his political views. Soliman faces accusations of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and using a social media account to spread the false news.
State Council Courts
On August 17, The Administrative Judiciary Court (13th Circuit) dismissed appeal No. 8144 of 55 filed by Cairo University against the court’s decision to appoint Hagar Ismael Hanafy as the University’s faculty of science.
The Faculty of Science at Cairo University refused to appoint Hagar as a lecturer at the faculty despite being one of the top students and fulfilling all the requirements that qualify her for the position; the University attributed its refusal to the lack of security approval, in the last year, AFTE filed an appeal before the Administrative Judiciary Court, challenging the university’s decision, and last January, the court annulled Cairo University’s decision. It ruled 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. Cairo University refused to implement the Court’s ruling and decided to appeal it before the Administrative Judiciary Court; however, the judiciary did justice to Hagar for the second time.
University’s Disciplinary Councils
On August 21, The Disciplinary Council of the Teaching Staff at the Higher Technological Institute in the 10th of Ramadan City acquitted Manar Al-Tantawy, the assistant professor of the mechanical engineering department, of the charges leveled against her in connection with disciplinary lawsuit No. 20 of 2023, In which Al-Tantawy was accused of impersonating the head of the mechanical engineering department at the institute after she approved the laboratory secretary leave request who works under her supervision, despite that the Institute’s administration didn’t take any action against Dr. Haitham Alzumor, the teaching staff member at the institute after he approved the leaves of workers under his supervision.
Notably, Al-Tantawy held the mechanical engineering department head position and temporarily apologized for the title after she went through health problems. The institute’s administration later denied the occupation of her official position even after the Administrative Judicial Court ruled for Al-Tantawy’s legal entitlement to the position.
