Egypt Extends Pretrial Detention Amid Protests and Criticism

The Egyptian authorities have extended the pretrial detention of at least 125 individuals and arrested two journalists before a national dialogue on pretrial detention policies. Most detainees were arrested following calls for protests on July 12 over economic conditions. Rights groups have criticized the widespread use of pretrial detention.

Egyptian authorities have extended the pretrial detention of at least 125 people and arrested two journalists shortly before holding a national dialogue on Tuesday to discuss pretrial detention policies, rights lawyers and groups report. Most of those detained were swept up in a wave of arrests following calls for protests on July 12 over economic conditions under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the sources said.

Although no protests actually took place, dozens were arrested from their homes and are being held on accusations of spreading false news, promoting terrorist ideas on social media platforms, and belonging to a terrorist organization, rights lawyer Nabih El-Genady reported. On Sunday and Monday, the public prosecution extended their detention for another 15 days, confirmed El-Genady and another rights lawyer, Khalid Ali. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, a prominent rights group, corroborated that at least 125 people are currently being detained.

Authorities also arrested two journalists last week, including a cartoonist for the independent news outlet Al-Manassa, who has been missing since plain-clothed officers raided his house on Monday. Another journalist from the Arabic Post news website was also apprehended, according to Ali. Neither the public prosecution nor Egypt's State Information Service has issued immediate comments.

Rights groups have long criticized the extensive use of pretrial detention to keep individuals jailed for years, arguing that it should be a last resort and not a standard procedure. This topic was a focal point at a national political dialogue launched by President Sisi in April 2022, which took place on Tuesday.

Over the past decade, President Sisi has led a stringent crackdown on political dissent. While officials claim that the judiciary acts independently and that authorities are taking steps to improve human rights, Ahmed al-Sharkawy, a parliament member on the dialogue's board, remarked that the initiative had facilitated the release of around 1,500 people, including 79 freed on Monday.

"I'm not saying everything is perfect. There are still issues, but we are seeing positive results," Sharkawy stated. However, the Civil Democratic Movement (CDM), a liberal opposition bloc that suspended its participation in the dialogue in June due to lack of progress, remains sceptical, particularly concerning freedom of expression.

"Until the state demonstrates genuine intent to release all prisoners in pretrial detention, there is no value in attending a dialogue session," said CDM co-founder and political scientist Mustapha Kamel al-Sayyid.