Cairo: 28 January 2019

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) said today that the security forces continue to violate and trample on the Constitution and the law by expanding their police campaigns, the last victims of which are; Leftist Dr. Gamal Abdel-Fattah, young lawyer Mohab El-Ebrashi and activists Khalid Bassiouni, Khalid Mahmoud and Mustafa Faqir. They were arrested today dawn, a day after their participation in a ceremony organized by Al-Karama Party to commemorate the eighth anniversary of January 25 Revolution, and then they were taken to an unknown destination denying them the right to call their families or lawyers.

In the evening of January 26, the security forces besieged the headquarters of the Karama Party in Dokki district where a concert was held to celebrate the eighth anniversary of January 25 Revolution. They held the participants and barred them from leaving the concert until they made a copy of their IDs, before the four activists were arrested at dawn from their homes in Giza pyramids area, while Mustafa Faqir was arrested from his home in Dakahlia governorate.

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said, “The security services’ continued arrest campaigns, turning a blind eye to the rights of detained individuals, constitute a flagrant and repeated disregard    for the provisions of Egypt’s Constitution that guarantees personal freedom for citizens.”

ANHRI demands the immediate release of the 5 activists, and holding those responsible for their abduction and unlawful detention accountable, in accordance with Article 280 of the Penal Code which states that “Whoever arrests, confines, or detains a person without an order from one of the concerned judges/ruling governors, and in other than the cases wherein the laws and statutes authorize the arrest of suspects, shall be punished with detention or a fine.”

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Gamal Abdel-Fattah