The Egyptian authorities continue their mistreatment of 24-year-old student Taqwa Abdel Nasser, who has been detained for two years, seven months.
Taqwa, a student at Cairo University’s Faculty of Education, was arrested on 9 June 2019, after which she was disappeared for 17 days, before appearing before the Supreme State Security Court on 26 June.
The prosecution’s investigation into Abdel Nasser was part of the ‘Hope Alliance’ case. The first judgment included a 15-day prison sentence at the Qanater women’s prison.
However, authorities soon sent Abdel Nasser to the criminal rather than the political wing of the prison. Suffering due to overcrowding there, she began a hunger strike on 20 July 2019, though authorities were able to break her strike, using various punishments against her.
On 7 February 2021, a lower court issued the decision to release Abdel Nasser, though the decision was not implemented.
This second decision followed a 29 October 2020 report, the Supreme State Security Survey, which included accusations of Abdel Nasser’s “forming a terrorist cell inside Qanater prison, holding organisational meetings within the prison, communicating with group leaders outside the country, recruiting new members to the group, and promoting its ideas.”
Although the report appeared three months prior to the 7 February decision, the public prosecutor nevertheless charged Abdel Nasser with membership of a proscribed group, and with forming a prison cell affiliated with that group. Human rights organisations have declared that such charges are routinely used against critics of the regime.
The public prosecutor then issued a decision to automatically renew Abdel Nasser’s detention, without any further investigation into allegations contained in the 29 October report.
Last Thursday (4 November), Abdel Nasser’s lawyer, Ahmed Helmy, announced that he had received a summons to the South Cairo Prosecutor’s office. The summons were ultimately made by the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) service.
Helmy explained that, according to the summons, he is accused of insulting the judiciary, after having criticised the prosecutor’s investigation during court sessions on the renewal of Abdel Nasser’s detention.
“The prosecutor’s investigation was marred by shortcomings”, Helmy has said. “Their questions did not reflect the case’s evidentiary basis, and indeed completely deviated from the case itself. They did not pose to the accused the actions attributed to her, but rather addressed her social status, circumstances, and her clothing. There were no questions about the acts attributed to her.”
And, he continued, “The judge considers this an insult to the prosecution, and asked the representative of the public prosecutor to write a memorandum to that effect.”
“As for myself, I will continue to say that the State Security Prosecution is clearly and flagrantly violating the law without any accountability. I am ready to go to prison.”
Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi assumed power, the Egyptian authorities have waged an unprecedented crackdown against dissidents and critics, with thousands of politically-motivated arrests recorded. Many of those arrested have been sentenced following unfair trials, whilst others have been held without trial for years, often due to baseless terrorism charges. Detainees are typically held in appalling conditions.
