Content
Methodology
Introduction
Section I: A reading of the state of freedom of expression during the third quarter
Section II: The key violations of the right to freedom of expression during the third quarter
- First: Media freedom
- Second: Freedom of creativity and artistic expression
- Third: Academic freedom and student rights
- Fourth: Digital rights
Conclusion and recommendations
Methodology
This report presents and analyzes the general policies of the Egyptian authorities and their various agencies towards the right to freedom of expression in its various forms, specifically freedom of the press and media, freedom of creativity and artistic expression, freedom of digital expression, academic freedoms, and student rights. The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) monitors and documents violations in these domains. It also provides legal aid to the victims of these violations through its lawyers at the legal aid unit. The report also reviews and analyzes the patterns of violations that were monitored and documented during the period from 1 July to 30 September 2024, according to AFTE’s monitoring and documentation methodology.[1]
Introduction
During the third quarter of this year, the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives prepared a final draft of the criminal procedures law with the aim of presenting it to the parliament for discussion and approval. This came despite the tireless attempts by multiple civil society organizations, parties, unions, human rights organizations and others, to push for a delay in passing the draft law and putting it up for wide and serious societal dialogue before its endorsement.
The announcement of the draft law, which included 550 articles, sparked wide controversy and rejection of what can be described as violations contained in the bill regarding fair trial guarantees, the rights of the accused and the defence, the powers of the control and investigation authorities, the publicity of trial sessions, and others. The parliament is expected to discuss the bill before the end of the year, without paying attention – until the time of writing this report – to most of the criticisms directed at the bill and without putting it up for societal discussion.
AFTE reported growing violations of freedom of expression during the third quarter of the year, spotting 34 violations compared to 19 reported during the second quarter of the same year. In terms of gravity, AFTE also reported the arrest of three journalists, two of them were detained. Moreover, censorship bodies interfered in the content of two films, while the security services continued to target poet Ahmed Douma over his collection of poems titled “Curly” and ElMaraya publishing house which published the collection. We will discuss this in detail in the second section of this report.
Section I: A reading of the state of freedom of expression during the third quarter
Pretrial detention remains punishment despite amendments
The issue of pretrial detention was the most prominent on the table of discussions of the draft criminal procedures law. These discussions began on 17 August, after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi referred the National Dialogue recommendations on pretrial detention to the government[2] on 21 August. The chief recommendation was to reduce the duration of pretrial detention, as a “preventive measure necessitated by the exigency of the investigation”, to prevent it from becoming misused as a form of punishment. According to the proposed amendments, the maximum duration of pretrial detention would be reduced from six to four months for misdemeanors, from 18 to 12 months for felonies, and from 24 to 18 months if the punishment prescribed for the crime is life imprisonment or death.
Many observers deemed these amendments insufficient, arguing that the duration of pretrial detention after the amendment still exceeds international standards and does not curb the exploitation of the law to punish individuals by wasting their freedom and ages under investigation and pretrial detention, especially since the legislator unheeded the multiple calls for expanding the use of alternatives to pretrial detention, specifically in freedom of expression cases.
In this context, AFTE, along with other organizations, issued a joint statement[3] on 26 August, stressing that sorting out the pretrial detention issue requires political will, which the statement described as “still absent”, in light of the continuation of the same arbitrary security practices towards citizens, and the absence of the independence of the Public Prosecution and the judicial system, something which facilitates the circumvention of the law to abuse opponents, human rights defenders, journalists, and bloggers. Therefore, the aforementioned amendments are just ink on paper and remain unable to sort the issue out.
Among the most prominent of these practices, according to the statement, is the so-called “recycling”. The Public Prosecution routinely circumvents the existing pretrial detention statutes by “recycling” detainees into new cases, in which they face the same or similar charges immediately after they had been ordered released or have reached the two-year maximum legal duration for pretrial detention. When a detainee is charged under a new case, the time they have spent in pretrial detention in the previous case is disregarded or not counted towards their release. The most flagrant violation is the disregard for the maximum period of pretrial detention, currently set by law at two years, and the renewal of the detention of some defendants for periods of more than four years without any legal basis. Without addressing such practices, the amendments would be “useless”, the statement said.
Strenuous objections from lawyers and journalists to the bill
After the subcommittee formed by the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee and the Human Rights Office of the House of Representatives finalized the draft criminal procedures law as an alternative to the legislation in force since 1950, and despite the participation of a representative from the Bar Association in the discussions, the latter was surprised that the version submitted to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee ignored his observations. This prompted the Bar Association to hold an urgent meeting on 26 August to study the draft law.[4]
The meeting reviewed the key observations of the Bar Association on the draft law, and came up with a number of decisions, including:
First: Preparing an urgent detailed memorandum on the objected articles compared to the provisions of the current law, the constitutional violations they contained, and alternative amendments, provided that the memorandum would be officially delivered to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee.
Second: Calling on the House of Representatives to submit the draft law to the Senate for further discussion, in accordance with the constitution and the law.
Third: Opening all channels of communication with all concerned bodies to study the bill more realistically and legislatively and hold societal discussions about it.
A day after the Bar Association’s meeting, the head of the Journalists Syndicate, Khaled El-Balshy, issued a statement[5] in which he voiced solidarity with all the outcomes of the meeting, stressing that the Criminal Procedures Law is the pillar of the justice system and the bridge of trust between citizens and the system of law and justice in the country. He further called for putting the draft law up for societal discussion, and warned against passing the law in closed rooms.
On 27 August, the House of Representatives notified Abdel Halim Allam, the head of the Bar Association and president of the Arab Lawyers Union, of an invitation by the chairman of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee for him or his representative to attend the sessions dedicated to the discussion of the amendments to the draft criminal procedures law on 1-3 September. Indeed, member of the committee MP Atef Maghawri confirmed that the committee had received a memorandum from the Bar Association detailing its observations about the draft law, and that it would study them and take the agreed amendments into account before issuing the final draft.
The meetings ended up with the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee agreeing to reconsider a number of articles that the Bar Association had reservations about[6]. The attendees agreed to amend Article 242, which contained the phrase “without prejudice to the guarantees prescribed in the Advocacy Law and its amendments”, delete the word “confusion”, and amend the phrase “referring to the memorandum of the chairman of the session to the prosecution” to read “referring the lawyer” if he committed one of the session crimes, stressing that this is a real guarantee to protect the right of defence.
The committee also rejected the proposal of the government and the Public Prosecution to amend Article 104 of the bill to allow interrogation of the accused without the presence of a lawyer in the event that the latter is unable to attend, arguing that this violates the constitution. Meanwhile, it amended some other articles, based on the Bar Association’s observations about 21 articles. These observations focused on the rights of defence, taking into account the guarantees stipulated in the constitution and the Advocacy Law. It is worth noting that the Judges Club expressed its objection to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee’s approval of the Bar Association’s proposals on some articles, most notably Article 242.
In a related context, the Journalists Syndicate got involved in the controversy over the draft law, as the Syndicate’s Council supervised the preparation of a detailed memorandum of the Syndicate’s observations on more than 40 articles that contained constitutional defects. The Syndicate received a detailed response from the secretary of the House of Representatives, in which he confirmed that a number of the Syndicate’s observations were taken into account and some amendments were accordingly introduced to the final draft, while some other observations that contained constitutional flaws or were legally unreasonable were not taken into account. The Syndicate sent a lengthy reply to the Legislative Committee’s comments, stressing the need for an extensive societal dialogue on the draft law before its approval. After the Legislative Affairs Committee finalized the draft law, the Journalists Syndicate held a press conference on 11 September, in which it reiterated its objection to the bill and called on MPs who work as journalists to push for the amendment of three articles that are closely related to journalism, namely Articles 15, 266, and 267. The Legislative Affairs Committee responded by deleting Article 267.
The Syndicate proposed an amendment to Article 15 of the draft law, which stipulates that “the Criminal Court of its two levels, or the Court of Cassation, may – if acts occur outside the session that would violate its orders or the respect due for it, or affect its judiciary or witnesses, while looking into a request or a lawsuit – file a criminal case against the accused in accordance with Article 13 of this law”. It suggested that the phrase “if acts occur outside the session” be replaced with “if acts occur in the session”.
The Syndicate also warned against confusion between broadcasting and relaying the proceedings of trial sessions in Article 266, arguing that this would place more restrictions on the media coverage of trials, which is part of the journalistic work. Article 266 of the draft law stipulates an expansion of the restriction introduced by Article 186 bis of the Penal Code, stipulating that trial sessions may not be broadcast by any means without written approval from the court president after seeking the Public Prosecution’s advice.
The parliament is expected to discuss the draft criminal procedures law with the aim of approving it by the beginning of the last quarter of this year. This comes amid widespread concerns and warnings against passing the law without putting it up for societal discussion, and without paying attention to the criticisms raised against it. AFTE rejects the current parliament’s discussion of the draft law and sees that priority should be given to other bills, such as the access to information bill, as well as laws related to parliamentary and provincial elections. The majority of incumbent MPs were chosen by security agencies, and the current parliament does not announce its legislative agenda and priorities, nor does it provide any information about its sessions and discussions, and undermines any guarantee for the lawmakers’ commitment to the protection of public rights and freedoms and respect for the constitution.
Section II: The key violations of the right to freedom of expression during the third quarter
The third quarter of this year witnessed an increase in the violations of the right to freedom of expression, in terms of number, diversity and gravity. A journalist and a cartoonist were arrested for carrying out their journalistic duties, while two films were banned from screening in art forums for religious and political reasons, and poet and political activist Ahmed Douma and ElMaraya publishing house were targeted over a new collection of poems titled “Curly”. In this section, the report reviews in detail the key violations of freedom of expression during the third quarter of 2024.
First: Media freedom
Violations against journalists continued during the third quarter of 2024, as AFTE reported 8 violations, the most prominent of which was the arrest of journalist Khaled Mamdouh and cartoonist Ashraf Omar. AFTE also documented two cases of assault on journalists while carrying out their journalistic work. Meanwhile, the authorities continued to prevent journalists from carrying out their job.
Key patterns of violations:
Arrest of journalists
The arrest of journalists, especially those working for independent websites, has been one of the most common violations over the past decade, contrary to the government’s narrative. Many observers were optimistic that the situation of those detained for expressing their opinions, including journalists, would be resolved, as the Egyptian authorities called for a national dialogue, giving priority to the issue of detainees. However, the dialogue was nothing but propaganda and failed to resolve the issue. Yet, the security services still control the government’s approach, especially to the press. In this regard, AFTE reported three arrests of journalists, Khaled Mamdouh, Ashraf Omar, and Sally Nabil, during the third quarter of the year.
Mamdouh, a journalist working for the Arabic Post website, was arrested on 16 July[7] after a security forces raided his home in the Mokattam neighborhood in Cairo. He was not at home at the time, but he was arrested when he returned. He was then taken to an unknown location. His family and lawyer were not informed of his place of detention or the reason of his arrest. Six days later, he appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution in the Fifth Settlement, in connection with Case No. 1282 of 2024 (Supreme State Security Prosecution), on charges of joining and financing a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes.
A week after the arrest of Mamdouh, security forces arrested Ashraf Omar, a cartoonist on the Al-Manassa website, from his home in the October Gardens neighborhood. The forces searched Omar’s home and seized some of his belongings, in addition to a sum of money belonging to his family. Omar was taken to an unknown location, and the authorities did not inform his family or lawyer of his place of detention for more than sixty hours. On the afternoon of 24 July, he appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution in connection with Case No. 1968 of 2024 (Supreme State Security Prosecution). The prosecution charged him with joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes, spreading rumours and false news, and misusing social media.
During the first detention renewal session, Omar’s lawyer asked the prosecution to hear his statements as a victim, as he was tortured during and after his arrest. The lawyer also asked the prosecution to document the security forces’ seizure of an amount of money and personal belongings from Omar’s house during his arrest, which was not documented in the arrest report[8].
Meanwhile, BBC Arabic correspondent in Egypt Sally Nabil was arrested for writing on X that the Egyptian police had arrested a number of Sudanese for displaying anti-Sisi pictures on a billboard of a private company on King Faisal Street in Giza.
Nabil was charged with spreading false news during her interrogation at the State Security Prosecution in Case No. 3527 of 2024 (Supreme State Security Prosecution). She was later released on bail of 10,000 pounds[9].
Assault on journalists
On 12 July 2024, a security guard at the African Security Services Company assaulted – without any reason – a photojournalist working for the Sada El-Balad website while covering the Al-Ahly-Pyramids football match in the Egyptian premier league. Although the photojournalist remained in the place allocated for him, the security guard assaulted him physically and verbally, slapping him on the face and trying to grab and smash his mobile phone. Another guard assaulted the photojournalist physically and verbally and tried to detain him unlawfully. On 15 July, the head of the Journalists Syndicate submitted a report to the Public Prosecution asking it to investigate the incident. The incident also angered sports photojournalists, who refused to take the group photos of the Zamalek-Baladiya and Al-Ahly-Modern Sport matches in protest over the assault on their colleague. Meanwhile, the African Security Services Company issued a statement apologizing to the photojournalist. Also, officials from the company met representatives from the Journalists Syndicate and the Photojournalists Division as well as the assaulted photojournalist, where the company’s officials apologized for the photojournalist, saying that the security guard involved in the incident was moved to another department, stressing their respect for the role of photojournalists and promising that the incident would not be repeated. The photojournalist accepted the apology.
Ban of coverage
The ban on media coverage is the most common violation in Egypt. It does not apply only to political events, which are rare due to the restrictions that have been placed on the public sphere for years, but has become a regular practice often carried out by government bodies and officials, whether selectively by preventing journalists or specific media outlets from coverage or by imposing a collective ban on some or all media outlets.
AFTE documented two incidents during the third quarter of the year in which journalists were banned from carrying out their jobs. On 14 July 2024, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Gharbiya prevented journalists from covering the funeral of Egyptian swimmer Shaza Negm in her hometown in the governorate, which was attended by the Minister of Youth and Sports[10].
In the same context, the Cairo Criminal Court on 21 September 2024 prevented journalists from attending the trial of a flight attendant accused of killing her daughter[11].
Second: Freedom of creativity and artistic expression
The third quarter witnessed growing violations against creative people and cultural institutions. The security services continued to target poet and writer Ahmed Douma and ElMaraya publishing house over Douma’s collection of poems “Curly”. Security forces raided the publishing house, seized products and administrative and financial documents, and arrested an administrative assistant before releasing him after hours later pending investigation. Professional unions also continued to target creative people under various pretexts. AFTE documented 8 violations during the third quarter of 2024.
Key patterns of violations:
Continued targeting of Douma and ElMaraya over “Curly”
A security force that included officers from the Abdeen police station, the Censorship of Artistic Works police, and the Anti-Tax Evasion police raided the headquarters of ElMaraya on 27 July 2024, after the conclusion of a seminar organized by the company and the departure of all those present except for one of the administrative assistants, who was arrested. The force searched the place for at least five hours, and seized 217 books, a computer, and four boxes containing financial documents. Two reports were filed against the company, accusing it of tax evasion, issuing books without obtaining deposit numbers or contracts with authors, possessing books that do not belong to the company, in addition to using non-original software on the company’s computers. The arrested administrative assistant was released pending investigation.[12]
The security move against ElMaraya came a few days after the company cancelled a seminar and a signing ceremony for the poet and political activist Ahmed Douma’s collection of poems titled “Curly” [13]. The company had cancelled the ceremony, which was set to be held in a private cultural office in Zamalek neighbourhood, after pro-government preachers launched a campaign against Douma, accusing him of infidelity. The company, however, said it had cancelled the ceremony for out-of-hand reasons.
The security services are expected to be behind the takfir (the practice of one Muslim declaring another Muslim an infidel) campaign against Douma, as well as the restrictions imposed on his collection of poems. The collection has been targeted since it was first released in 2021, as it was withdrawn from the book fair that year and banned from sale after security personnel passed by the pavilion of the publishing house that displayed the collection and ordered the sellers there to withdraw it, which the publishing house responded to at the time.
The “Curly” collection had obtained the deposit number and all the necessary approvals without any problems until attention was paid to its writer, who was imprisoned at the time for his political activism. The collection had a large-scale promotion campaign at the time. This makes the security services’ responsibility for this campaign more likely.
The security moves against ElMaraya come in line with the security policies that restrict freedom of creativity and artistic expression. These policies impose restrictions on independent cultural organizations by terrorizing them in several ways, especially through security crackdown and the use of artwork violation and tax evasion as pretexts to avoid suspicions about the political motives behind targeting these organizations. For example, ElMaraya was subjected in late September 2022 to some of these accusations after its headquarters was raided and its founder was arrested. This came a day after the company held a seminar to discuss the book “The Ghost of Spring”, authored by imprisoned political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. The company’s founder was released the next day.
In 2021, the National Library and Archives refused to grant a deposit number to “Maraya 25”, a rich and diverse cultural publication launched by ElMaraya in 2017 in cooperation with many writers, politicians and economists.
The General Directorate for the Censorship of Artistic Works continues to suppress freedom of creativity:
During the third quarter of this year, the General Directorate for the Censorship of Artistic Works interfered in the content of two films, as the film “Hany”, directed by Mohamed Allam, was banned from screening during the Hurghada Youth Film Festival under the pretext that it contained “homosexual” scenes.
Director Saad Hindawi said in press statements[14] that the film did not participate in the feature film competition despite the presence of the film director at the festival and the festival management’s announcement of the participation of the film. However, the festival management asked the director to delete some scenes and phrases from the film before sending a copy to the General Directorate for the Censorship of Artistic Works for approval. The director agreed, but communication between him and the festival management was cut off, as the festival management did not reply to his messages. The festival manager sent the director a text message stating that the censorship directorate’s approval had not been received yet.
In the same context, the producer of the “Tarot” movie, Bilal Sabry, said the General Directorate for the Censorship of Artistic Works demanded modifications to some scenes, which it described as indecent, adding that the production company was committed to implementing the instructions of the censorship body. In press statements[15], a source from the censorship body said the film “Tarot” did not obtain a screening permit. A committee watched the first version of the film and requested the modification of a large number of scenes. So far, the committee has not watched the version after the required modifications were made. The production company said in a statement that “the film contains a number of bold and shocking scenes, and features one of the stars cheating her partner in a strange way that has not been presented in the Egyptian cinema industry before, sparking a great shock on social media”.
Professional unions continue to impose their guardianship on creative people:
On 26 August 2024, the head of the Musical Professions Syndicate, Mustafa Kamel, decided to suspend mahraganat singer Hassan Shakosh and refer him to investigation over a video he posted on social media criticizing what he called ill-treatment he received at Tunis airport. Kamel stressed the negative impact that the video could have on the relations between Egypt and Tunisia, as well as the relationship between the syndicates of musical professions in the two countries. He also rejected the content of a video in which Shakosh apologized after he said he had been subjected to ill-treatment again. The next day, Shakosh went to the syndicate’s headquarters where he was interrogated by officials from the legal affairs department and the syndicate’s council, who accused him of causing a major crisis between the musical professions syndicates in Egypt and Tunisia, especially as the head of the Tunisian Musical Professions Syndicate Maher Hammami sent an official letter Kamel asking him to investigate Shakosh. The investigation committee decided to close the investigation after Shakosh apologized and confirmed that he did not intend to insult the Tunisian people or the Tunisian state[16].
In the same context, the Musical Professions Syndicate decided on 21 August 2024 to suspend mahraganat singers Amin Khattab and Fares Sokkar and withdraw their singing licenses until the completion of their investigations, without mentioning any details about the reasons for their suspension and referral to investigation[17].
Meanwhile, the Acting Professions Syndicate issued a decision banning the participation of “bloggers” in acting work[18]. Ashraf Zaki, the syndicate’s head, said the decision was final and that violators would be subject to penalties, including suspension and a fine of one million pounds. Zaki explained that the syndicate is authorized to take such decisions, saying: “I’m authorized to suspend actors and not to give screening licenses, as any film to be screened must obtain a permit from three syndicates, namely the syndicates of acting, cinema and musical professions. These permits then go to the censorship body, and if a film does not get approved from the three syndicates, it will not be screened, and this is the law.”
Third: Academic freedom and student rights
State bodies continue to place restrictions on academic freedoms and student rights. The security and judicial authorities, in cooperation with university administrations, have been active in restricting the means of expression and activism at universities, which affected the ability of professors and students to exercise their right to freedom of expression. The role of universities evolved and became more repressive and brutal in punishing, tracking and monitoring students inside and outside campuses.
In this regard, the Faculty of Dentistry at Delta University for Science and Technology on 30 September issued disciplinary decision No. 5, punishing a number of internship students by postponing their training for four months for some and two months for others, and depriving an intern from receiving her training certificate for a period of four months. This came after those students shared posts on Facebook and on private WhatsApp groups criticizing the university’s decision to increase the internship fees and duration. The university had raised the fees from 24,000 pounds for a three-month training at the college hospital to 95,000 pounds, and also extended the duration of the training to six months.
On 29 September, the students were summoned for interrogation, harshly treated by the university administration, and had their phones searched. Although they apologized, the university administration went ahead with its disciplinary decision.[19]
Furthermore, the authorities continued to violate the independence of universities and undermine academic freedom by punishing professors for their political views. Political science professor Ahmed Al-Tohamy continues to be detained in connection with Case No. 649 of 2020 (Supreme State Security). On 23 September 2024, the Criminal Court (Third Circuit, Terrorism) renewed his detention for 45 days.
AFTE submitted request No. 60027 of 2024 to the Public Prosecutor, asking for the mandatory release of Al-Tohamy, after the expiration of the period of his pretrial detention stipulated in Article 143 of the Criminal Procedures Law, in Case No. 649 of 2020 (Supreme State Security).[20]
Moreover, universities continue to punish professors for their behavior and that of their relatives outside the campus. The Higher Institute of Technology in the 10th of Ramadan City still practices intransigence and arbitrariness against Dr. Manar Al-Tantawy, refusing to implement the Administrative Court’s ruling in Case No. 61520 of the Judicial Year 75 which affirmed Al-Tantawy’s right to obtain a professorship degree after the security authorities denied her promotion due to her being the wife of former detainee Hisham Gaafar.
AFTE filed lawsuit No. 73299 of the Judicial Year 77 to challenge the negative decision refusing to implement the judicial ruling in favour of Al-Tantawy. On 18 August 2024, the Administrative Court (First Circuit) referred the case to the State Commissioners Authority, which shelved the case[21] on 26 September. Thus, the violations against Al-Tantawy have not come to an end.
Al-Tantawy, an assistant professor at the Mechanical Engineering Department, has faced a number of violations by the institute’s administration and the Ministry of Higher Education since 2021. These included preventing her from obtaining a professorship degree or reassuming the position of head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, in addition to referring her to a number of disciplinary boards without a clear or sound reason, apparently as a retaliatory measure by the institute’s administration.[22]
Fourth: Digital rights
The Egyptian authorities continue to restrict the citizens’ digital rights, taking further measures to restrict freedom of expression online and the available space as well. These include arrests, enforced disappearance, prolonged pretrial detention, trials, and repeated, ready-made and unjustified charges that lack evidence. This creates an environment of self-censorship and mass surveillance that prevents citizens from exercising their right to freedom of expression. These measures target not only political activists and influencers, but also ordinary citizens, undermining the values of human rights and freedom of expression. The various violations confirm that the right to use the internet in Egypt remains systematically and continuously threatened, and that the authorities continue to arbitrarily use various laws to suppress and restrict digital freedoms in a context of general and comprehensive repression of all civil and political rights.
The violations committed in the third quarter of this year indicate the predominance of security violations against the backdrop of Facebook posts that criticize the political and economic situation in the country, in addition to the arrest of content creators, especially on TikTok. In this regard, AFTE documented 14 violations during the third quarter, as follows:
Continued targeting of TikTok girls:
Since July 2024, AFTE has documented the arrest of three female TikTokers on similar charges, including spreading debauchery, inciting vice, posting indecent videos on social media, and violating Egyptian family values.
In July 2024, security forces arrested blogger Roky Ahmed in Cairo’s Rehab City for posting a video clip of herself wearing a swimsuit in the bathroom. Roky said the clip was private and she did not post it on social media. The prosecution faced her with another Facebook video in which she insulted a fan with a swear word.
Roky said that she was not initially aiming for profit through her accounts on social media and that she was working in the field of makeup and fashion, then left the career and started to post videos on social media. She was arrested after lawyer Ashraf Farahat filed complaint No. 22927 accusing her of inciting debauchery and posting obscene videos. On 1 August, the New Cairo Court decided to release Roky on bail of 10,000 pounds, after she faced charges of publishing explicit videos.
Ruqaya Ahmed, aka Roky, is a blogger active on Facebook and TikTok. Her videos on TikTok garner millions of views.[23]
On 16 September, Sophia Loren, a TikToker and dancer at a nightclub in Agouza, was arrested over clips she posted showing off her body with background music. The prosecution charged her with spreading debauchery, inciting vice and posting indecent videos on social media.[24]
TikToker Heba, best known as “the monster of the universe”, was arrested in Alexandria on 24 September and interrogated in connection with Case No. 1437 of 2024 (Montazah First). Heba posts videos and live broadcasts on TikTok alongside her two daughters while performing their daily life routine. The clips do not contain dance or songs, but only feature the three showing off their bodies in tight clothes.
The prosecution charged them with spreading debauchery, inciting vice, and posting indecent videos on social media. The investigations indicated that Heba exploited her minor daughters to attract views and make profits. On 28 September, Heba’s detention was renewed for 15 days pending investigation, while her two minor daughters were placed in a care home.[25]
On 20 July 2024, the Cairo Economic Court sentenced Nadine Tarek to one year in prison and ordered her to pay a fine of 100,000 pounds on charges of spreading debauchery, violating family and society values, and posting obscene videos on social media.
Tarek was arrested on 23 April for sharing videos of herself that contained immoral and suggestive gestures and incited debauchery and immorality. The prosecution charged her with violating family and society values, posting indecent videos, promoting prostitution and misusing social media.[26]
Crackdown on online content creators for various reasons
During the third quarter of this year, AFTE documented the arrest of ten citizens for publishing posts on Facebook addressing or criticizing the domestic economic situation. The same pattern of crackdown was followed with most cases, where a person is arrested and then forcibly disappeared for several days or weeks without the knowledge of his family or lawyer of his whereabouts and their inability to communicate with him. The person then appears before the State Security Prosecution for questioning. The prosecution levels constant and repeated charges, including joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes, spreading false news and statements that may harm security and public order, and using a social media account for the purpose of spreading false news.
In July, Bilal Mohamed Fawzy Al-Saqaan, Abdulrahman Safwat Mohamedain, Magdy Mohamed Mohamed Awad, Islam Mahmoud Abdulaziz Abu Al-Saud and Alwaleed Sabry were arrested on various days. The prosecution interrogated them in the same case, No. 3434 of 2024 (Supreme State Security), over Facebook posts that complained about poor healthcare, high prices, and power cuts, as in the case of Magdy and Islam[27]. Bilal was arrested for joining a Telegram group calling for demonstrations on 12 July. Although Bilal left the Telegram group as soon as he learned of its purpose, the prosecution insisted on detaining him in connection with Case No. 3434 of 2024 (Supreme State Security)[28]. Abdulrahman was arrested for sharing a video supporting Gaza and several posts addressing the domestic economic conditions.[29]
Sherif Mamdouh Mohamed al-Sakka was arrested over social media posts criticizing the country’s economic situation due to the currency devaluation, price hikes and power cuts. He faced the same charges, but was included in another case, No. 2810 of 2024 (Supreme State Security).[30]
Yehya Hussein Abdel Hady was arrested on 31 July at around 7 p.m., when a plainclothes security force kidnapped him while he was in a car with Abdel Galil Mustafa to attend a seminar at the Hope Movement Party, which was founded by Ahmed Tantawy. As the car was parked on Salah Salem Street, Abdel Hady and Mustafa were surprised by a number of individuals who forcibly took Abdel Hady from the car to an unknown destination. On the same evening, Abdel Hady appeared before the State Security Prosecution over a post on his Facebook page criticizing the army’s role under the title: “How long will the army remain silent?” The prosecution charged him with joining a terrorist group, misusing social media, spreading rumours and false news, committing a terrorism financing crime, and inciting a terrorist crime, in Case No. 3916 of 2024 (Supreme State Security). After interrogation, he was transferred to the 10th of Ramadan Prison. The prosecution allowed him to get his medications, as he had heart and respiratory diseases.
Abdel Hady is a political activist who co-founded the Civil Democratic Movement in 2017. He served as the movement’s official spokesperson until his arrest in January 2019. He has been systematically subjected to a number of violations. In June 2022, he was released under a presidential pardon, after spending three years in prison. On 13 April 2023, the prosecution summoned him to appear before the Second Nasr City Misdemeanor Court, in connection with Case No. 1206 of 2023, on charges of possessing publications against the backdrop of articles he published on his Facebook page in which he addressed the political situation and the practices of the authorities. In April 2024, the Nasr City Misdemeanor Court of Appeal upheld Abdel Hady’s one-year suspended sentence.[31]
In August, Mohamed Youssef Mohamed Ibrahim was arrested for complaining on Facebook about the high prices and the hard living conditions. The prosecution faced him with his posts, and interrogated him in connection with Case No. 4092 of 2024 (Supreme State Security).[32]
Youssef Ahmed Salem Ibrahim (Youssef Reeo) was arrested in downtown Cairo over photos on his phone taken with former presidential hopeful Ahmed Tantawy and posts about his presidential campaign. Security forces spotted the photos and posts after they illegally stopped Ibrahim and searched his phone. He was interrogated in Case No. 3528 of 2024 (Supreme State Security).
Conclusion and recommendations
AFTE rejects the discussion of the new draft criminal procedures law, as it is not a legislative priority now. The current parliament cannot be trusted as it was formed by the security services, which suppressed and prevented the opposition from political participation. AFTE stresses the need to control the security practices that make laws just ink on paper, by circumventing laws to practice all forms of violation, without accountability.
- AFTE calls on the Egyptian parliament to stop discussing the new draft criminal procedures law and instead give priority to other laws related to the constitution and elections.
- AFTE calls on the Public Prosecution to release journalists Khaled Mamdouh and Ashraf Omar without delay and drop the charges against them.
[1] AFTE’s Monitoring and Documentation Methodology, https://bit.ly/3vyVIFw [2] President Sisi refers the National Dialogue recommendations on pretrial detention to the government for implementation, State Information Service, https://tinyurl.com/545rmsuu [3] Egypt: Reforming arbitrary pretrial detention requires political will over legal formalities, AFTE, 26 August 2024, https://tinyurl.com/5n6newt6 [4] Mohamed Abu Bakr, Urgent Statement from the Bar Association on the Draft Criminal Procedures Law, Masrawy, 26 August 2024, last visited on 30 October 2024, https://tinyurl.com/2u688zwd [5] A letter from the head of the Journalists Syndicate to the head of the Bar Association regarding the draft criminal procedures law, the Journalists Syndicate’s website, 27 August 2024, last visited on 30 October 2024, https://www.ejs.org.eg/page.php?id=2410803 [6] The Bar Association issues a statement regarding the completion of the Legislative Affairs Committee’s discussions of the new draft criminal procedures law, the Bar Association’s Facebook page, 11 September 2024, https://www.facebook.com/100066420675136/posts/pfbid02U8rYRSFRXnFnNoU7UrXHBg6CQLZz6utKQpBfDgKGdBqbzgs73ceUX2o2WyovTvBvl/. [7] Testimony from Nagy Kamel, brother-in-law of journalist Khaled Mamdouh [8] Online call with Ashraf Omar's wife [9] Committee for Justice, Egypt: BBC correspondent released after detention and interrogation, cartoonist for ‘Al-Manassa’ website detained, 22 July 2024, last visited on 1 November 2024, https://tinyurl.com/3dytj42j [10] Marwa Shaheen, Undersecretary of the Youth and Sports Ministry insults journalists during the funeral of swimmer Shaza Negm in Gharbiya, Masrawy, 14 July 2024, last visited on 15 October 2024, https://tinyurl.com/4a5c9v5f [11] Rami al-Mahdi, Psychiatrist and ban on journalists.. Details of the trial of the Tunisian flight attendant accused of killing her daughter, Sada El-Balad, 21 September 2024, last visited on 15 October 2024, https://www.elbalad.news/6329668#goog_rewarded [12] Online testimony from the company’s founder, Yahya Fikri [13] Online testimony from Ahmed Douma [14] Mustafa Hamza, Banning "Hany" from screening stirs crisis at the Hurghada Festival.. the director levels accusations and the festival director responds with documents, Masrawy, 22 September 2024, last visited on 15 October 2024, https://tinyurl.com/3ydtw74a [15] Said Khaled, Al-Masry Al-Youm reveals the fate of the screening of Tarot.. the censorship directorate: We haven't granted it a permit yet, Al-Masry Al-Youm, 15 September 2024, last visited on 15 October 2024, https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/3260253 [16] Nermine Ezzat, Hassan Shakosh suspended and summoned for interrogation at the Musical Professions Syndicate, Al-Watan, 26 August 2024, last visited on 15 October 2024, https://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/7517523 [17] Mohamed Zaki, Musical Professions Syndicate suspends mahraganat singers Amin Khattab and Fares Sokkar (details), Al-Masry Al-Youm, 21 August 2024, last visited on 15 October 2024, https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/3242991 [18] Alawi Aboul Ela, Million pounds fine for producers using bloggers (details), 25 August 2024, last visited on 15 October 2024, https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/3245088 [19] A copy of the disciplinary decision, the Facebook page of Mohamed Alaa (Secretary General of the General Syndicate of Dentists), 8 October 2024, last visited on 13 October 2024, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=8165909743530884&set=a.424584737663462; Testimony from a student of the Faculty of Dentistry, Delta University, to AFTE, 9 October 2024 [20] Dr. Ahmed Al-Tohamy Abdelhay, AFTE, last visited on 13 October 2024, https://afteegypt.org/academics-detained-ar/2021/07/07/23437-afteegypt.html [21] Weekly Legal News Bulletin (22-29 September 2024), AFTE, last visited on 13 October 2024, https://afteegypt.org/legal-updates-2/weekly-legal-bulletin/2024/09/29/38556-afteegypt.html [22] Continued targeting| Profile of Manar al-Tantawy: Continued targeting over political background, AFTE, 22 August 2023, last visited on 13 October 2024, https://afteegypt.org/research/2023/08/22/35128-afteegypt.html [23] Urgent court decision regarding blogger Roky Ahmed in the explicit videos case, Masrawy, 1 August 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://tinyurl.com/yc2v6mks; Because of the "swimsuit video".. The full story of the arrest of TikToker Roky Ahmed, Al-Masry Al-Youm, 5 July 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/3207099 [24] Surprise in investigations.. Dancer Sophia Loren accused in five cases on charges of inciting debauchery and theft, Cairo 24, 17 September 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://www.cairo24.com/2080517; After posting an indecent video. Egyptian "Sophia Loren" apprehended, Al-Arabiya, 16 September 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://tinyurl.com/bpz8ccc2 [25] Trading her two minor daughters is the reason for the arrest of the monster of the universe in Alexandria, Cairo 24, 25 September 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://www.cairo24.com/2085988#goog_rewarded; Imprisonment, indecent videos, and exploitation of minors.. What happened to the "monster of the universe" 24 hours after her arrest? Masrawy, 25 September 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://tinyurl.com/y92us74t [26] Blogger Nadine Tarek sentenced to one year in prison for "spreading debauchery", Al-Manasa, 20 July 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://tinyurl.com/yc446ssw [27] Magdy Awad's detention renewed for 15 days due to posts containing a complaint about high prices, AFTE, 30 September 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://afteegypt.org/legal-updates-2/legal-news/2024/07/24/37891-afteegypt.html; Islam Abu Al-Saud’s detention renewed for posting complaints on Facebook about power outages, AFTE, 24 July 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://afteegypt.org/legal-updates-2/legal-news/2024/07/24/37881-afteegypt.html [28] Detention of 16-year-old child renewed after being arrested on charges of calling for 12 July demonstrations despite not posting any calls, AFTE, 24 July 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://afteegypt.org/legal-updates-2/legal-news/2024/07/24/37856-afteegypt.html [29] The detention of a student who published a call for demonstrations and a video in support of Gaza renewed, AFTE, 8 August 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://afteegypt.org/legal-updates-2/legal-news/2024/08/08/38092-afteegypt.html [30] The State Security Prosecution renews the detention of a dentist who criticized the price hikes, currency devaluation and power cuts, the Egyptian Front for Human Rights, 17 July 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://tinyurl.com/ms4py6ht [31] A post on lawyer Khaled Ali's Facebook page, 1 August 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://www.facebook.com/khaled.ali.72/posts/pfbid09yu5Jqrqw8nENo655ew56HM9BG5E5dXEYLPAJ8zVcWMLokvpL1xAzp4drCDHTcz5l [32] Mohamed Ibrahim's detention renewed over Facebook posts about high prices and hard living conditions, AFTE, 30 September 2024, last visited on 14 October 2024, https://afteegypt.org/legal-updates-2/legal-news/2024/09/30/38585-afteegypt.html