Cairo: 21 September, 2020 

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) said today that the Public Prosecutor must immediately order the release of journalist and researcher Shaimaa Samy who has been held in pretrial detention pending Case No. 535 of 2020 State Security Prosecution since 20 May, 2020 as an act of retaliation. The journalist must be released as the State Security Prosecution is violating the law and renewing her detention on paper despite the fact that she is present in the Prosecution’s custody.   

Yesterday, September 20, Shaimaa Samy was transferred from Alexandria to the State Security Prosecution headquarters in Cairo to consider her detention renewal session. Her lawyers were present at the Prosecution’s office to attend the session, but they were surprised that the detention renewal order was issued on paper; without bringing Samy from her custody to appear before the prosecutor and without hearing her statements or even enabling her lawyers to plead the case or provide their defense, particularly demanding the release of her client due to the absence of all pretrial detention’s justifications. Although Samy was present at the headquarters of the State Security, her detention was renewed without her presence, as if it was ordered to torture her by repeatedly transferring her from Alexandria to Cairo by the patrol/deportation vechiles known for their poor conditions.

It’s worth mentioning that this matter (renewing Shaimaa’s detention on paper) is repeated for the second time in a row without enabling Shaimaa to attend her detention renewal session or hear her statements in accordance with Article 134 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, whose provisions are binding on all judicial bodies as the investigating judge (the State Security Prosecution) is obliged to hear the defendants’ statements before issuing any decision on whether or not to renew their detention. 

“The Public Prosecutor must implement the law and immediately release Shaimaa Samy, because in addition to the absence of a serious accusation or evidence against her, the State Security Prosecution wasted and undermined the law by not hearing her statements despite her presence in the Prosecution’s custody, and by not enabling her lawyers to provide their defense. Rather, they decided to renew her detention in violation of the law”, ANHRI’s director Gamal Eid said.

ANHRI also affirms its clear demand to stop using pretrial detention as a tool of punishment and harassment for those who oppose the public policies by depriving them of their freedom converting pretrial detention into a heavy punishment.