Prosecution appeals court decision on release of Mina Thabet

Menan Khater
2 Min Read

 

 

The prosecution appealed a court decision to release researcher Mina Thabet on EGP 10,000 bail on Saturday.

Thabet is expected to have another court session on Monday to decide on the prosecution appeal, according to his lawyer Doaa Mustafa.

Mustafa told Daily News Egypt that during the detention renewal session, Thabet pleaded to the judge for his release because of his deteriorating health conditions.

 

“He attended the session while holding a walking stick as he could not stand on his own,” she said. “His legs and back used to hurt him before the arrest, but his condition has now become worse.”

 

Thabet, a member of the local observatory Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), was arrested in mid-May from his home. He is facing 10 charges in relation to the recent maritime demarcation deal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia over the Red Sea islands, according to Mustafa.

 

The charges include belonging to an outlawed group and inciting to overthrow the regime, among others. During the preliminary investigations, the prosecution confiscated a leaflet he allegedly possessed that featured the Tiran and Sanafir islands.

 

In early April, the Egyptian government ratified a decision to transfer the sovereignty of Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia. The decision prompted two waves of anti-government protests in mid- and late April.

 

Amid those calls for protests, hundreds were arrested and tried but have since been acquitted. They included those arrested both from public spaces and from their homes on charges of inciting protests.

 

 

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Politics and investigative reporter for Daily News Egypt. Initiator and lead instructor of DNE's special reporting project for university students 'What Lies Beyond.' Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menannn1
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