“The most important investigations, trials and procedures related to justice and respect for the rule of law that took place in a week, and ANHRI’s comment on them *
First: The most important justice news in a week (From 9 to 15 September 2021):
- The Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated 69 citizens on charges of joining a terrorist group after their arrest and detention for varying periods of time. “Investigations“
- The Third Terrorism Circuit at Cairo Criminal Court ordered the release of 32 citizens out of 1,291 who have appeared before the court to consider their detention pending state security cases. “Release orders“
- The appeal submitted by businessman Hassan Rateb was rejected, and the detention of former parliamentarian Alaa Hassanein was renewed pending the case known in the media as the “Great Antiquities” “Detention renewals.”
- Patrick George, researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) was referred to the Emergency State Security Misdemeanor Court on charges of publishing false news and statements. “Trials“
- Launching the National Human Rights Strategy for the Arab Republic of Egypt 2021-2026 “Decisions and Legislations“
6- Two defendants accused in the case known in the media as “Ain Shams violence incidents” was sentenced to 5 years in high-security prison “Rulings.”
- Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the trial of human rights lawyer Hoda Abdel Moneim on charges of joining and financing a terrorist group “Trials“.
Second: Details on the monitoring of justice news this week:
1- Investigations
10 September 2021
1- The Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated 38 citizens, after arresting them from different governorates on different dates, on charges of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and misusing social media.
13 September 2021
1-The Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated 19 citizens, after arresting them from different governorates on different dates, on charges of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and misusing social media.
14 September 2021
1-The Supreme State Security Prosecution interrogated 12 citizens, after arresting them from different governorates on different dates, on charges of joining a terrorist group, publishing false news and statements, and misusing social media.
2- Detention renewals
12 September 2021
1- The Third Circuit (Terrorism) at Cairo Criminal Court, held in a counseling room at the Police Cadets Institute, considered the detention renewal of 422 citizens pending the following cases: No. 1823 for 2019, 751 of 2020, 488 of 2019 (in which human rights lawyer Amr Imam and journalist Ahmed Shaker are accused, and the court postponed the consideration of their detention renewal to the hearing set on September 19 due to inability to bring the defendants from their jail to the courthouse), No. 810 of 2019 (which involves publisher Ismail El Kemary whose detention has been renewed for 45 days), No. 818 of 2018, 1472 of 2019, 883 of 2021, 1360 of 2019 (which involves journalist Badr Badr Mohamed, the court adjourned his detention renewal for a session to be determined later because he could not be transferred from his prison), 570 of 2020, 517 of 2020 , 383 of 2021, 955 of 2020, 1225 of 2020, 750 of 2019, 467 of 2020, 1430 of 2018, 1055 of 2020, 585 of 2020, 473 of 2014, 311 of 2019, 628 of 2021.
2- The appeals judge at Al-Manshya Court renewed the detention of a police officer for 15 days over accusation of assaulting and beating a lawyer during his presence at Al-Montazah Police Station leaving him injured.
13 September 2021
1- The Third Circuit (Terrorism) at Cairo Criminal Court, held in a counseling room at the Police Cadets Institute, considered the detention renewal of 350 citizens pending the following cases: No. 1021 of 2020, 1110 of 2020, 1318 of 2019, 1470 of 2019, and 1356 of 2019 , 1118 of 2019, 515 of 2019, 810 of 2019, 482 of 2021, 488 of 2019 (which involves blogger Radwa Muhammad Farid whose detention was renewed for 45 days pending investigations), 277 of 2019 (which involves Engineer Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi whose detention renewal was postponed for a period of 45 days pending investigations), 853 of 2021, 656 of 2021, 627 of 2021, 65 of 2021.
2- South Cairo Criminal Court rejected the appeal filed by businessman Hassan Rateb challenging his detention renewal order pending the case known in the media as the “Great Antiquities Case” and accordingly upheld his detention.
14 September 2021
1- The Third Circuit (Terrorism) at Cairo Criminal Court, held in a counseling room at the Police Cadets Institute, considered the detention renewal of 519 citizens pending the following cases: No. 975 of 2020, 930 of 2019 (which involves human rights lawyer Zyiad Al-Elimi and journalists Hisham Fouad and Hossam Mounis whose detention renewal was postponed to a hearing to be set later because they couldn’t be brought from their jail to the courthouse), 865 of 2020, and 855 of 2020, 812 of 2020, 800 of 2019, 771 of 2019, 580 of 2020, 483 of 2021, 470 of 2019, 441 of 2018, 240 of 2021, 238 of 2021, 1781 of 2019, 1530 of 2019, 1450 of 2019, 1269 of 2019, 1175 of 2018, 1106 of 2020 (which includes journalist Sayed Abdullah whose detention renewal was postponed for a hearing to be set later), 1017 of 2020, 620 of 2021.
2- Cairo Criminal Court renewed the detention of Islam Nasser Abdel-Nabi for 45 days pending Case No. 2056 of 2020 Al-Khalifa Misdemeanor on a charge of joining a terrorist group.
15 September 2021
1- The appeals judge at South Cairo Court extended the detention of the driver of former MP Alaa Hassanein along with 18 others for 15 days pending investigations into the case of “the Great Antiquities”.
3- Release orders
13 September 2021
1- Cairo Criminal Court’s Third Terrorism Circuit ordered the release of 5 defendants with precautionary measures pending Case No. 488 of 2019 State Security.
2- Cairo Criminal Court’s Third Terrorism Circuit ordered the release of one defendant with precautionary measures pending Case No. 482 of 2021 State Security.
3- Cairo Criminal Court’s Third Terrorism Circuit ordered the release of 5 defendants with precautionary measures pending Case No. 810 of 2019 State Security.
14 September 2021
1- Cairo Criminal Court’s Third Terrorism Circuit ordered the release of 4 defendants with precautionary measures pending Case No. 855 of 2020 State Security.
2- Cairo Criminal Court’s Third Terrorism Circuit ordered the release of 5 defendants with precautionary measures pending Case No. 1530 of 2019 State Security.
3- Cairo Criminal Court’s Third Terrorism Circuit ordered the release of 3 defendants with precautionary measures pending Case No. 1106 of 2020 State Security.
4- Cairo Criminal Court’s Third Terrorism Circuit ordered the release of 2 defendants with precautionary measures pending Case No. 1017 of 2020 State Security.
14 September 2021
1- North Cairo Criminal Court’s 12th circuit accepted the appeal submitted by citizen Mohamed Hassan Abdel-Aaaty challenging his detention renewal order. The court, accordingly, ordered the defendant’s release on bail of 1000 EGP pending Case No. 620 of 2021 Al-Salam Misdemeanor in which he was accused of joining a terrorist group.
4- Trials
9 September 2021
1- The Court of Cassation adjourned the appeal submitted by former officer Mohamed Eiwes and others challenging the death, life, and high-security prison sentences handed down against them in the case of “Ansar Beit Al-Maqdes” for the hearing of 14 October 2021.
11 September 2021
1- The 5th terrorism circuit at Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the trial of the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms’ activists including human rights lawyers Hoda Abdel Moneim, Aisha Khairat Al-Shater and 29 other defendants in Case No. 1552 of 2018, known in the media as the “financing terrorist groups”, for the September 13, 2021 session.
12 September 2021
1- The 5th Terrorism Circuit, convened at the Police Cadets Institute, adjourned the retrial procedures of two defendants in Case No. 308 of 2010, known in the media as “Al-Zeitoun Cell I” for the hearing of 7 November.
2-Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the retrial of 10 defendants in the case known in the media as “Al-Mataryia violence incidents” for the hearing of 14 September.
13 September 2021
1- The 5th Terrorism Circuit at Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the second trial hearing of the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms’ activists of 2018 for the hearing set on 11 October 2021.
2-The 5th Terrorism Circuit at Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the trial of 3 defendants, including a fugitive, accused of forming a terrorist group in Al-Waili in connection with the case known in the media as “Al-Waili Cell” for the hearing set on 12 October.
3- – The First Terrorism Circuit at Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the trial of 215 defendants in the case known in the media as “Helwan Brigades” for the hearing of 11 October to proceed with the defense pleadings.
14 September 2021
1- The first terrorism circuit at Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the trial of 10 people in the case known in the media as “killing and terrorizing citizens in Mataryia” for the hearing of 20 September due to the inability to transfer the defendants from their jail to the courthouse.
2- The first terrorism circuit at Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the trial of 12 defendants in the case known in the media as ” Hesham Ashmawi Cell” for the hearing of 12 October.
3- The Emergency State Security Misdemeanor Court adjourned the first trial hearing of researcher Patrik George, accused pending Case No. 7245 of 2019, for the hearing of 28 September 2021.
15 September 2021
1- The appeal court’s second terrorism circuit adjourned the trial of 14 defendants accused in the case known in the media as “Kuwait returnees” for the hearing set on the second of October.
5- Trials
13 September 2021
1- The 5th terrorism circuit at Cairo Criminal Court sentenced two defendants to 5 years in high-security prison in the case publicly known as “Ain Shams incidents”.
6- Administrative and constitutional judiciary:
11 September 2021
1- The Supreme Administrative Court rejected the appeal filed by the Ministers of Education and Health, the Undersecretaries of the Ministries of Health and Education in Beheira and the Governor of Beheira against a female student. The court, accordingly, upheld the ruling issued by the Administrative Court of Justice in Alexandria to reverse the decision of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in agreement with the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education to dismiss a female student from the Technical High School of Nursing (for Girls) in Hosh Issa disctrict in Beheira governorate, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Health and is under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The decision also permanently deprives the girl of having the Technical Secondary Nursing Exams, after she was raped by a person who impregnated her, and consequently she was accused of aborting her pregnancy at the Hosh Issa General Hospital.
12 September 2021
1- The Administrative Court of Justice postponed the consideration of a lawsuit filed by lawyers demanding the banning of the “Tik Tok” application in the country.
- The Administrative Court of Justice postponed the consideration of the lawsuit demanding the dissolution of the “Ansar al-Sunnah Muhammadiyah” Association, Sharia Association (Gam‘iyya al-Shar‘iyya) for the Cooperation of Book Workers, and “al-Sunnah Muhammadiyah” Association in their main centers and branches until the November 5, 2021 session.
14 September 2021
1- The Supreme Administrative Court turned down the appeal filed by the Governor of Kafr El-Sheikh and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Kafr El-Sheikh against a doctor and accordingly upheld the ruling issued by the Administrative Court in Kafr El-Sheikh to suspend the implementation of the decision of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Kafr El-Sheikh, which included the assignment of another doctor to the position of Director General of the Health Administration in Sidi Salem, with its consequent effects. The decision doesn’t take into account the objection voiced by some civil society organizations, some political movements and the Farmers Syndicate, and without taking into account his dismissal, which took place only 4 hours after assuming his position as director of the health administration in response to the political organizations and movements’ demands.
7- Legislation and decisions
12 September 2021
1- The Permanent Higher Committee for Human Rights – formed by a decision of the Prime Minister in 2018 – launched the National Human Rights Strategy for the Arab Republic of Egypt 2021-2026.
September 13, 2021
- The Official Gazette published the decision of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development No. 57 of 2021 setting the minimum wage in the private sector at 2,400 pounds, as of January 1, 2022, calculated on the basis of the basic wage stipulated in Clause (C) of Article One of the Labor Law.
8- Judicial statements
10 September 2021
1- The Public Prosecution posted, on its official page on the social networking website “Facebook”, the Public Prosecutor’s decision to open an investigation into the incident of the circulating video showing a nurse being insulted at Ain Shams University at the hands of a doctor.
11 September 2021
1- The Public Prosecution announced, on its official page on the social networking website “Facebook”, the completion of the training of public lawyers promoted from the rank of Chief Prosecutor of Category (A) at the Institute of Criminal Research and Training in the Office of the Public Prosecutor, “in order to maximize their technical and administrative expertise that qualifies them to perform their new duties.
11 September 2021
1- The Public Prosecution posted, on its official page on the social networking website “Facebook”, the Public Prosecutor’s decision to detain a doctor and an employee working in a private hospital for four days and to arrest and summon another doctor on accusation of bullying a nurse, under his supervision- and displaying force with the intention of putting him in “a position of ridicule” and degrading him in his social environment.
13 September 2021
1- The Public Prosecution posted, on its official page on the social networking website “Facebook”, the Public Prosecutor’s decision to detain the fugitive doctor in connection with the case of “bullying the nurse in a hospital” after the security forces succeeded in arresting him.
14 September 2021
- The Public Prosecution posted, on its official page on the social networking website “Facebook”, the Public Prosecutor’s decision to refer to trial two doctors and an employee in a private hospital accused of bullying a nurse in the same hospital- who works under his supervision – showing force before him with the intention of mocking and degrading him in his social environment.
ANHRI’s comment:
– The continued appearance of 1,290 citizens before Cairo Criminal Court’s third (terrorism) circuit, which solely is designated to preside over the detention renewal of defendants detained over state security cases, is a very dangerous matter, making their opportunity to appear before other circuits that could order their release and implement the law misses.
– The Egyptian state has launched the National Strategy for Human rights without taking some clear and explicit steps or moves to end the files of the extended pretrial detention and the rotation of detainees (adding defendants to new cases while in detention), or putting an end to the prosecution of writers and opinion-holders, or closing the case publicly known as “closure of civil society”. This strategy is just ink on paper and an attempt to show the external world that the Egyptian state is caring for human rights by presenting an image that is totally different from the reality on the ground.
– The Public Prosecution’s decision to refer Patrick George, researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), to the State Security Misdemeanors Court on charges of publishing false news and statements, after spending nearly a year and a half in pretrial detention, represents a step to circumvent the use of pretrial detention and exceptional courts, whose rulings cannot be challenged, with the purpose to intimidate dissidents.
– The Supreme Administrative Court rejected the appeal filed by the Ministers of Education and Health, the two undersecretaries in Beheira and the Governor of Beheira against a female student, and consequently upheld the cancelation of the decision issued by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health- in agreement with the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education- to dismiss the student from a technical secondary nursing and deprive her of entering the exams because she was raped by a person who impregnated her, before she was accused of aborting her pregnancy at Hosh Issa General Hospital. This ruling is a first step in restoring the student’s honor and right that was wasted by officials.
For PDF
* A weekly newsletter that monitors the most important investigations, trials, and proceedings related to justice and respect for the rule of law, which took place during the week (from Thursday to Wednesday). It is based on the work carried out by ANHRI’s Criminal Justice Program team, in addition to media reports and the news published by the Official Gazette, and concludes with ANHRI’s comments and opinion on the incidents being monitored.
