Egyptian lawyer and human rights activist Haitham Mohamadein released after spending over three years behind bars
Name(s):
Haitham Fawzi Mohamadein Mahmoud
Status:
Free
Year of birth:
1982
Profession:
Lawyer, human rights activist, member of the El Nadim Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture, and prominent workers’ rights defender
Nationality:
Egyptian
Date of arrest:
On May 12, 2019, human rights lawyer Haitham Mohamadein went missing after he was arrested at El Saf police station in Giza, where he had been summoned. He reappeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP), which charged him with “joining a terrorist organisation” and ordered his pre-trial detention. In March 2021, Mohamadein was added by the SSSP to a new case on similar accusations. He was held at a Central Security Forces Camp on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road for over three years before being released on September 15, 2022.
Mohamadein is an Egyptian lawyer, human rights activist, member of the Al Nadim Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture and a well-known workers’ rights defender.
On May 12, 2019, Mohamadein was summoned to El Saf police station in Giza in relation to the probationary measures issued against him in Case No. 718 of 2018, a case in which he was charged on May 19, 2018, with “aiding a terrorist organisation to achieve its goals” and “calling for illegal protests”. His prosecution in this case was condemned by several UN Special Procedures in a joint allegation letter and a press release highlighting the “systematic targeting of human rights defenders” by the Egyptian authorities.
After presenting himself at El Saf police station on May 12, 2019, Mohamadein went missing. On May 13, police officers at El Saf police station at first denied his detention, then later acknowledged his presence in the police station while denying his family and lawyer their right to visit or contact him.
On May 14, 2019, the police officers at El Saf police station submitted a report to the prosecution on Mohamadein’s alleged lack of compliance with his probationary measures in Case No. 718 of 2018. However, Mohamadein was held in custody at the police station and neither he nor his lawyer were given the right to read or challenge the report. After the office of the prosecutor returned the report back to El Saf police station without any decision having been taken on the case, the police officers submitted the report to the prosecution for a second time on May 15.
On May 16, several of Mohamadein’s colleagues saw him by chance while he was being brought before the SSSP. They discovered that Mohamadein was being prosecuted in another case (Case No. 741 of 2019) on allegations of “joining a terrorist group”. The prosecutor questioned him about his “suspected intention” to carry out advocacy and to protest or call for protests during the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, accusations that Mohamadein denied. The prosecutor ordered his 15-day pre-trial detention, which was subsequently renewed multiple times.
Mohamadein was then transferred to a Central Security Forces Camp on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, where he is currently being held.
On May 29, 2019, MENA Rights Group requests intervention of several UN Special Procedures mandate holders.
On July 19, 2019, several UN Special Procedures mandate holders sent a joint allegation to the Egyptian authorities (AL EGY 7/2019), expressing their concerns regarding the prosecution of Mohamadein and the conflation of peaceful public protest, and criticism, with terrorism.
On November 27, 2019, the Cairo Criminal Court ordered Mohamadein’s conditional release. However, on November 28, 2019, the prosecution successfully challenged the court order.
On June 2, 2020, UN experts sent another joint allegation to the Egyptian authorities (AL EGY 7/2020).
On March 8, 2021, the Cairo Criminal Court ordered his release on probation in Case No. 741 of 2019. He was, however, never released, but instead added by the SSSP to a new case on March 10, 2021 (Case No. 1956 of 2019), based on the accusation of “joining a terrorist organisation” – the very same accusation brought against him in Case No. 741 of 2019.
On December 2, 2021, MENA Rights Group submitted Mohamadein’s case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, asking them to issue an Opinion as to the arbitrary nature of his detention. MENA Rights Group highlighted the fact that Mohamadein was subjected to the practice of “rotation” (tadweer), which is used by the Egyptian authorities to circumvent pre-trial detention maximum periods and prolong the detention de facto indefinitely.
On September 15, 2022, the Egyptian authorities ordered the release of a group of 46 pretrial detainees, including Mohamadein.
| Name(s): |
Haitham Fawzi Mohamadein Mahmoud
|
| Status: |
Free
|
| Year of birth: |
1982
|
| Profession: |
Lawyer, human rights activist, member of the El Nadim Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture, and prominent workers’ rights defender
|
| Nationality: |
Egyptian
|
| Date of arrest: |
|
Mohamadein is an Egyptian lawyer, human rights activist, member of the Al Nadim Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture and a well-known workers’ rights defender.
On May 12, 2019, Mohamadein was summoned to El Saf police station in Giza in relation to the probationary measures issued against him in Case No. 718 of 2018, a case in which he was charged on May 19, 2018, with “aiding a terrorist organisation to achieve its goals” and “calling for illegal protests”. His prosecution in this case was condemned by several UN Special Procedures in a joint allegation letter and a press release highlighting the “systematic targeting of human rights defenders” by the Egyptian authorities.
After presenting himself at El Saf police station on May 12, 2019, Mohamadein went missing. On May 13, police officers at El Saf police station at first denied his detention, then later acknowledged his presence in the police station while denying his family and lawyer their right to visit or contact him.
On May 14, 2019, the police officers at El Saf police station submitted a report to the prosecution on Mohamadein’s alleged lack of compliance with his probationary measures in Case No. 718 of 2018. However, Mohamadein was held in custody at the police station and neither he nor his lawyer were given the right to read or challenge the report. After the office of the prosecutor returned the report back to El Saf police station without any decision having been taken on the case, the police officers submitted the report to the prosecution for a second time on May 15.
On May 16, several of Mohamadein’s colleagues saw him by chance while he was being brought before the SSSP. They discovered that Mohamadein was being prosecuted in another case (Case No. 741 of 2019) on allegations of “joining a terrorist group”. The prosecutor questioned him about his “suspected intention” to carry out advocacy and to protest or call for protests during the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, accusations that Mohamadein denied. The prosecutor ordered his 15-day pre-trial detention, which was subsequently renewed multiple times.
Mohamadein was then transferred to a Central Security Forces Camp on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, where he is currently being held.
On May 29, 2019, MENA Rights Group requests intervention of several UN Special Procedures mandate holders.
On July 19, 2019, several UN Special Procedures mandate holders sent a joint allegation to the Egyptian authorities (AL EGY 7/2019), expressing their concerns regarding the prosecution of Mohamadein and the conflation of peaceful public protest, and criticism, with terrorism.
On November 27, 2019, the Cairo Criminal Court ordered Mohamadein’s conditional release. However, on November 28, 2019, the prosecution successfully challenged the court order.
On June 2, 2020, UN experts sent another joint allegation to the Egyptian authorities (AL EGY 7/2020).
On March 8, 2021, the Cairo Criminal Court ordered his release on probation in Case No. 741 of 2019. He was, however, never released, but instead added by the SSSP to a new case on March 10, 2021 (Case No. 1956 of 2019), based on the accusation of “joining a terrorist organisation” – the very same accusation brought against him in Case No. 741 of 2019.
On December 2, 2021, MENA Rights Group submitted Mohamadein’s case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, asking them to issue an Opinion as to the arbitrary nature of his detention. MENA Rights Group highlighted the fact that Mohamadein was subjected to the practice of “rotation” (tadweer), which is used by the Egyptian authorities to circumvent pre-trial detention maximum periods and prolong the detention de facto indefinitely.
On September 15, 2022, the Egyptian authorities ordered the release of a group of 46 pretrial detainees, including Mohamadein.