The Supreme State Security of Egypt Prosecution has ordered the detention renewal of police officer “Amr Ali Atiya” for 15 days in preventive custody due to his online support for the potential presidential candidate Ahmed Tantawi in case No. 2023 of 2023, related to State Security, According to The Egyptian Human Rights Front (EHRF)
Egyptian security forces arrested Atiya on August 30th at his home after he commented on a post on the presidential candidate Ahmed Tantawi’s page, saying, “I’m with you and I want to work with you when you become president.” The Egyptian Human Rights Front confirmed that Atiya’s comment included his photo while wearing an Egyptian police uniform. Atiya was interrogated before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on August 31, 2023, and he was charged with joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media. Officer Amr Ali Atiya was not an isolated case; the Egyptian Human Rights Front also noted that three lawyers, all members of the potential presidential candidate Ahmed Tantawi’s campaign, were investigated. They were arrested on September 4, 2023, while riding a taxi in the Hadayek El-Qobba area of Cairo. After three days of detention in case No. 2124 of 2023, State Security, they were charged with joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media. They were remanded in custody for fifteen days, with the possibility of renewal.
Ahmed Nadim, the Executive Director of EHRF, stated in an interview for Zawia3, “It has become common practice to arrest members of the potential presidential candidate Ahmed Tantawi’s campaign,” adding, “Security forces arrested 12 members of the former deputy Ahmed Tantawi’s family in April of this year and later released them.”
A report from Human Rights Watch suggested that these arrests appear to be solely based on individuals’ connections to Tantawi. Amr Magdy, a senior researcher in the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch, said, “The arrests of relatives and supporters of Ahmed Tantawi demonstrate that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government is determined to suppress peaceful opposition and treats all critics as threats. These violations seriously infringe on the rights of those targeted and greatly diminish the prospects for establishing democratic rights and human rights in the country for years to come.”
