The Legal Bulletin covers the lawsuits in which AFTE provides the necessary legal aid, in accordance with AFTE’s action framework.
The detention of seven defendants renewed, and the precautionary measures period for four others extended
This week’s bulletin contains news on the renewal of detention before criminal courts, which look into the renewal of detention in cases examined by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, after 150 days of pretrial detention
Criminal Courts
Saturday, 9 October: The Criminal Court renewed the detention of Naglaa Fathy Fouad for 45 days, in connection with Case No. 65 of 2021 (Supreme State Security Prosecution). Fouad faces charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and using social media for that purpose.
Security forces arrested Naglaa from her house in Alexandria on 14 June 2020. She was accused in connection with Case No. 535 of 2020. After seven months of pretrial detention, her release order was issued, but it was not implemented, and she was detained in connection with the above-mentioned case.
Also in Case No. 65 of 2021 (Supreme State Security), the Criminal Court renewed the detention of Mohamed Safani Kobeisy, Hussein Ali Hussein, and Nour Al-Din Shaker for 45 days on 9 October. They faced charges of joining a terrorist group and spreading false news.
The Criminal Court had previously issued orders to release Kobeisy and Shaker in connection with previous cases, but none of those orders was implemented. The Supreme State Security Prosecution, however, issued decisions to detain them in connection with the current case.
Regarding Case No. 1956 of 2019 (Supreme State Security), the Criminal Court decided on 10 October to renew the detention of Mohammad Abd-Ellah Mokhaimer. It also decided to extend the period of precautionary measures imposed on Akram Mostafa Farouk, Mohammad Ahmed Mansour, and lawyer Walid Elgendy, for 45 days. Under these precautionary measures, the three defendants have to hand themselves over to the police station in their neighborhood once a week. The defendants face charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media.
In the same context, the Criminal Court extended the period of precautionary measures imposed on activist Hossam El-Saadany for 45 days.
The Criminal Court issued a decision in July to release El-Saadany’s after he spent 17 months in pretrial detention in connection with Case No. 535 of 2020 (Supreme State Security Prosecution). But it imposed precautionary measures on him, as per Article 201 of the Criminal Procedures Law.
In another context, the Criminal Court on 10 October renewed the detention of Ahmed Hassanein Mohamed Moussa for 45 days in connection with Case No. 1475 of 2019 (Supreme State Security). Moussa faces charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media.
On 12 October, Zagazig Criminal Court renewed the detention of Quranist blogger Reda Abdel-Rahman for 45 days, in connection with Case No. 3418 of 2020 (State Security Emergency Misdemeanor).
Abdel-Rahman was subjected to violations, including restrictions at his workplace and arbitrary detention. He was detained without solid evidence of accusation. These violations come against the backdrop of expressing his religious beliefs and his belonging to the Quranist school of thought.
Abdel-Rahman was arrested from his house on 22 August 2020. He appeared before Kafr Sakr Prosecution in October of the same year in connection with the above-mentioned case. The prosecution charged him with joining the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group, and adopting and spreading Takfiri ideas through publications which the investigation authorities alleged they have seized from his house.
