On Monday, an Egyptian court ordered the release of musician Ezz El-Din Khaled on a bail of EGP 10,000, according to his lawyer Mahmoud Othman.
However, Masr Al-Gedida prosecution has appealed the release order.
Khaled, who plays in the band Street Children, was arrested from his home on Saturday at dawn charged with inciting protests and publishing videos that condemn state institutions.
On Sunday, the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) previously condemned Khaled’s arrest, calling on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release the musician.
ANHRI called Khaled’s arrest a direct violation of the freedom and rights that are intended to be protected by in Egyptian Constitution, clarifying that there are no articles in the constitution that prohibit the freedom of opinion or expression.
ANHRI further defended Khaled’s band, Street Children, and their work, saying that its online videos do not incite violence or the use of force.
The musician’s arrest stirred anger on social media who contended that sarcasm is not a crime.
According to the band coordinator Mohamed Adel, on Saturday security forces attempted to arrest the other five members of the band by raiding the houses of another two members. However, no one was at either home at the time of the raid.
Street Children is famous for making satirical videos on Facebook about ongoing political events and leaders, namely President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
In one of their latest videos, published on 3 May—four days prior to Khaled’s arrest—the band criticised the increasing number of arrests and Al-Sisi supporters. They also confronted the alleged accusations of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood and receiving foreign funding.
Their videos, which also tackle the day-to-day lives of citizens, were all shot on the streets. The videos gained wide support and their page has drawn in more than 200,000 likes.
