CAIRO: Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud referred the Maspero case to an investigations judge, lawyer Ragia Omran said Monday.
More than 30 civilians including prominent activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah are accused of illegal assembly to commit acts of terrorism and stealing weapons during the Maspero clashes.
On Oct. 9, army forces violently dispersed a mainly Coptic protest, leaving 27 dead and hundreds injured.
The case was investigated by the military prosecution and then recently referred to State Security Prosecution before it was sent to an investigations judge.
The military and state security prosecutions renewed Abdel-Fattah’s 15-day detention three times. He is expected to appear Tuesday in front of the prosecution, which will decide whether his detention will be renewed.
Abdel-Fattah was summoned in October by military prosecution for questioning with activist Bahaa Saber, but both refused to be interrogated by military prosecution as civilians. They also hold that the military is party to the crime and hence should not be investigating it.
Abdel-Fattah’s mother, university professor Laila Soueif, ended an 18-day hunger strike when her son was referred to a civilian prosecution.
