Trial of photojournalist Shawkan resuming on 8 April

Daily News Egypt
1 Min Read
Shawkan was arrested whilst he covered the security forces’ dispersal of the Rabaa Al-Adaweya and Al-Nahda Squares sit-ins in August 2013 (Photo from Freedom for Shawkan)

The Cairo Criminal Court decided on Tuesday to adjourn the trial of 739 defendants in the case widely known as the “Rabaa dispersal,” which involves detained photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid, known as Shawkan, to 8 April.

The trial, which further includes leading Muslim Brotherhood figures, has been postponed to 8 April as per the demands of the defendants’ defence teams.

The defendants face charges of joining an illegal public assembly and endangering public order, as well as vandalism, possession of weapons, and obstruction of roads.

Shawkan, the only journalist in the case, has been detained since August 2013. His lawyers claimed before court that he was on duty covering the events when security forces stormed Rabaa square in Nasr city to disperse the large brotherhood sit-in, which followed the ousting of the brotherhood-affiliated president Mohamed Morsi.

The dispersal that took place on 14 August 2013 left scores of protestors participating in the sit-in dead.

 

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