Press Release
26-7-2016
Engineer Ahmed Abdallah, the Head of Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Commission of Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), will appear tomorrow in front a Cairo Criminal Court to examine his appeal against the renewal of his preventive detention for 45 days on 20 July 2016 in a trumped-up case related to the protests of 25 April 2016 against a treaty handing over Tiran and Sanafir Islands to Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed Abdallah was arrested on the dawn of 25 April 2016 from his home and transfered to New Cairo police station 1, to be brought to the East Cairo Prosecution in the morning of the same day and accused of arbitrary and vague charges in case No. 10698 of year 2016 Misdemeanor Court of Ain Shams. Prosecution ordered Ahmed Abdallah’s detention 4 days pending investigation, which was extended several times by courts, the last extension being for 45 days on 20 July 2016.
ECRF calls on the judicial authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ahmed Abdallah since he is a human rights defender who is facing false charges for his public and human rights work and for practicing his human and constitutional rights. It also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all activists and persons detained in the same case and other similar cases related to the opposition to the handover of Tiran and Sanafir Islands, and dropping all charges presented against them for practicing their human and constitutional rights of freedom of opinion and expression and right to peaceful assembly.