Egypt cracks down on pro-Palestine supporters
Egypt cracks down on pro-Palestine supporters as nearly 120 Egyptians have been charged with acts of solidarity with the exclave since the Gaza war began, reports the Middle East Eye plus agencies.
On the 2nd of May, The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) released a report confirming that its lawyers had represented those arrested in eight separate cases before Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution.
Since the Israeli-Hamas war erupted on October 7th, 120 Egyptians have been arrested, while 90 are still being held in pre-trial detention, including two children according to the EIPR.
Most recently, six men are being held in pre-trial detention after being arrested from their homes in Alexandria on April 30th. They have been charged due to their involvement with a Palestinian solidarity committee.
Shadi Mohammed, a trade unionist from Alexandria, is among the six who are being accused of “establishing a terrorist group” with the aim of “overthrowing the regime,” calling for gatherings and broadcasting fake news to “disturb public peace.”
The EIPR issues a statement calling “for the immediate release of all defendants arbitrarily arrested on the grounds of expressing their support for Palestine, and for all charges against them to be dropped.”
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Another four adults and two children were detained for writing expressions of support for Palestine on the Dar el-Salam bridge in Cairo.
At least 28 Egyptians were arrested under terrorism laws without their families or lawyers being informed. They were arrested following a mass protest against Israel’s war on Gaza in Tabriz Square in Cairo on the 24th and 25th of October.
Just two days later, 11 others were detained for their role in pro-Palestinian demonstrations that took place near al-Asharq Mosque in Cairo. 11 more were arrested for spreading support for Palestine on social media platforms added the report.
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19 others, including mostly female journalists, researchers, lawyers and students, were arrested for participating in a protest outside the United Nations’ Women’s headquarters in Cairo.
The report stressed the “constitutional and legal obligation of all Egyptian authorities to guarantee and protect the rights of all Egyptians to express their political opinion in all peaceful forms.”
It added that those rights extended to solidarity with Palestinians, denouncements of Israeli crimes, and “even to oppose the official Egyptian reaction to the war”.
This report came just days before Hamas leaders headed to Cairo to discuss peace talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators to negotiate a Gaza ceasefire. So far, the discussions have been unsuccessful as both Israel and Hamas fail to make a comprehensive deal.
Middle East Eye/ Agencies.
