The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights on Monday renewed its call to end Egypt’s use of pretrial detention and to dismiss cases linked to freedom of expression—especially those involving solidarity with Palestine.
Their statement followed the Public Prosecution’s Oct. 6 announcement of the release of 38 defendants under investigation by the Supreme State Security Prosecution. Human rights lawyer Hoda Abdelwahab confirmed the list included detainees accused of ‘supporting Palestine.’
EIPR described the release of individuals held for participating in pro-Palestine protests as a long-overdue step to end what it described as “injustice and legal violations.” These include detaining individuals beyond the legal maximum for pretrial detention and holding them without clear legal basis.
The group urged similar action in longstanding cases—highlighting Case No. 65 of 2021, where two detainees were recently released, but activist Nermin Hussein remains imprisoned for over four years without substantial evidence.
Amid limited official transparency, EIPR noted the prosecution’s statement failed to include the names or case numbers of those released. The group identified roughly 20 detainees in Cases 2468 and 2635 of 2023, tied to solidarity protests in October 2023, following the Israeli assault on Gaza.
One release involved a police officer held for over a year in Case No. 717 of 2024, after raising the Palestinian flag on a billboard. EIPR added that dozens remain in detention on similar charges, including children, with some nearing the maximum detention term permitted by law.
Other releases included defendants in the “Fishermen of Borg Megheizal” (Case No. 662 of 2020), where Mohamed Shaalan Antar, 25, was freed after four years—double the legal limit.
Antar was the final detainee in a case involving 44 people, one of whom died in custody. EIPR reiterated its call to close the case and drop charges for lack of evidence.
Defendants were also released in the “Dignity Revolution” case (No. 3434 of 2024), which involved calls for protests that never materialized. Of more than 120 individuals arrested, one woman detained for over a year had yet to be released despite a court order issued Oct. 9.
EIPR ended its statement by calling for the immediate release of all detainees held for supporting Palestine and for the closure of speech-related cases that it says “largely lack supporting evidence.”
The group also urged a comprehensive review of pretrial detention and criticized the current system of automatic renewal hearings, which it said function as rubber stamps rather than judicial oversight.
It condemned the prosecution’s recent statement referring to detainees as “convicted individuals in need of rehabilitation,” calling it a blatant violation of the presumption of innocence.
In a June report, EIPR documented that since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza in October 2023, Egyptian security forces have arrested 186 citizens in 16 cases for acts of solidarity—ranging from protests and banners to humanitarian aid.
