Criminal Courts
August 27 hearings:
Cairo Criminal Court (Third Circuit) renewed the pretrial detention of Hamed Sedeek, which has been ongoing for four years, for 45 extra days pending investigations of lawsuit No. 2207 of 2021 (Supreme State Security Prosecution).
Sedeek completes his fourth year in prison within a few days, of which he spent three years pending the first lawsuit. The Supreme State Security Prosecution accused him in the current lawsuit while he was in custody; he was also accused with the same accusations of the first lawsuit, which are joining a terrorist group, spreading false news and information, and misusing social media.
Cairo Criminal Court (First Circuit) renewed the detention of Mohamed Abou Mandour for 45 days pending investigations of lawsuit No. 2216 of 2022 (State Security).
Security forces arrested the 40 years old Abou Mandour on November 10, and he remained unlawfully detained for two weeks, during which he was subjected to physical torture with electric shocks and handcuffing his hands behind, against the grounds of posting his political views and calling for November 11 demonstrations. Abou Mandour 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.
August 28 hearings:
Cairo Criminal Court (Third Circuit) renewed the detention of two Al-Ahly football club fans, Ahmed Shaker Abou Elrous, and Ali Othman Ali, for 45 days pending investigations of lawsuit No. 508 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
Security forces arrested Abou Elrous and Othman on April 5, after a football match for Al-Ahly football club; they were detained at Nasr City police station for two days, against accusations of rioting and assaulting the security forces. They remained detained till April 10, when they were interrogated before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, which charged them with different accusations of joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its aims, committing the crime of financing a terrorist group, spreading false news and statements that would harm public security and order, using an account on social media to spread the false news and information for a terrorist purpose.
Cairo Criminal Court (Third Circuit) set September 26 as a date to adjudicate the lawsuit known as “Rabaa Operations Room” No. 2210 of 2014, in which journalist Hassan Al-Qabany is accused. The Court also decided to release Al-Qabany till the adjudication date.
On April 11, 2015, Al-Qabany was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment without being informed of his referral to trial and without being interrogated in the lawsuit against accusations of joining a group established in violation of the law while knowing its purposes, participating in a criminal agreement aimed to attempt to overthrow the state’s constitution and its government using force, publishing and spreading false news and information domestically and abroad about the domestic situation of the country. After his arrest took place in May 2023, Al-Qabany requested a retrial.
AFTE’s lawyer presented several pleas before the Court to acquit Al-Qabany, most notably, a mistake in the defendant’s identity. In the investigation records, there’s a discrepancy in the full name, profession, and date of birth of the defendant mentioned in the indictment and the referral order, as it was stated in the National Security Investigations record that the actual defendant is called Hassan Hosney Hassan, born on September 15, 1976, and holds a Bachelor of Agriculture. As for Al-Qabany, the defendant before trial, his full name is Hassan Mahmoud Ragab Al-Qabany, born on July 27, 1983, and works as a journalist, and the lack of connection between Al-Qabany, the defendant before trial, and the accusations attributed to him.
Supreme State Security Prosecution
On August 28, the Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to renew the detention of two Zamalek football club fans, Amir Sayed Mohamed and Reyad Mohamed Abdel Rahaman, for 15 days, pending investigations of lawsuit No. 744 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
Security forces arrested Amir and Reyad on May 3 from DownTown Cairo; after eight days, they appeared before the prosecution, which accused them of joining a terrorist group (Ultras Ahlawy) and spreading false news and information that would harm public security and public order.
On August 30, the Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to renew the detention of Gamal Ziada, the father of the journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, for 15 days pending investigations of lawsuit No. 2064 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
On August 22, a security force in civilian clothes arrested Ziada from Nahia village, Giza. He appeared in custody the following day against accusations 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. Despite the accusations against him, the prosecution didn’t confront Ziada with any posts proving the accusation of spreading false news, as his Facebook profile is free of any political posts, and he only posts promotional materials for his work as a clothing workshop manager.
