Egypt removes 716 names from its terrorism watchlist
Egypt has removed 716 names from its terrorism watchlist following investigations into their connections with illegal activities, according to TheNewArab.
A statement on November 23rd by the Egyptian prosecutor-general’s office said move was part of the State’s ongoing review of their watchlist and that the remaining names are under scrutiny.
The list is thought to include 1,500 names but the exact number is unknown.
Any person named by law will have their financial assets frozen and their passports confiscated, along with other measures.
Since Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi introduced the controversial “Terrorist Entities Law” in 2015, opposition groups and critics of the regime have been regularly added to the terror list, including the Muslim Brotherhood, who were proscribed in 2014.
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33 journalists were put on a new terrorism watchlist in April 2023, along with another 49 other activists, politicians and human rights defenders, most of whom are living in self-exile outside Egypt.
The regime commonly adds people upon their departure from the country, making any return very difficult.
Tens of thousands of al-Sisi’s critics have been jailed since he took power in 2013, according to Rights Groups, drastically limiting media freedom and any serious opposition in the country.
The move comes after 173 Egyptian pro-Palestinian detainees facing charges including affiliation with terrorist groups and inciting unrest, had their detention time extended on November 14th, according to Maghrebi.org.
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The activists, who were arrested in protests last year will spend another 45 days behind bars without trial, as the government continues its “investigations” into alleged activities.
The renewal court sessions were held without the captives present and no investigations or evidence was presented during the proceedings.
Protests broke out in Egypt on October 20th in response to Israel’s invasion of Gaza, with activists crowding Cairo’s iconic Tahir Square.
Over the course of the demonstration, and others in the following months, Egyptian security forces carried out arrests of organisers and participants, accusing many of terrorism-related charges.
TheNewArab and Maghrebi.org
