CAIRO: As the detainees exited the courtroom Monday, they were heading toward a further 15 days in prison, when their cases will again be reviewed.
The eleven activists had been arrested two weeks ago in the early morning at one of the demonstrations in support for the beleaguered judges. Over the past few days they have been complaining of poor treatment.
The activists will be returned to Tora, where they will have to wait another two weeks before they can be released. Under the Emergency Law, people can be detained without charges for 15 days with another 15 day period granted if requested by the government.
According to a friend and activist close to one of the detained, he knows very little about the situation.
“What we know right now is what the lawyers told me, the activist says speaking on condition of anonymity due to the lack of official knowledge at press time. “They told me that the eleven people that were scheduled for the court today have been returned to Tora and will be there another 15 days.
According to statements on Kefaya activist’s blogs, the prisoners were forced to shave their heads on their own and were not being given food at proper intervals over the past few days.
Ahmed El Droubi, a diabetic, has been having the most trouble. “They are apparently being annoying with him because he needs insulin at specific times, the activist says. “Supposedly, he [El Droubi] will ask for the insulin and then have to wait a couple of hours before they deign to give it to him.
On Sunday, the detainees were expected to be in court, but did not show up.
Eleven more activists were arrested, three women. The women have supposedly been released, although the Ministry of Interior is saying that all detainees have been released.
Eyewitness reports say that plainclothes men hit them as they were leaving the courtroom in the morning.
“As I was leaving, they followed and I was hit as we left, Salma Nyew reveals. “I can’t believe they arrested women.
“It is a scary time when the interior ministry says they have all been released, Aida Seif El-Dowla says. “That means that they have now disappeared and we don’t know where they are.
Reports as The Daily Star Egypt goes to press indicate that eight people from Monday are being charged and will be held for 15 days, similar to the detainees at Tora. Five of them have been identified as Kefaya members.
The detained people are charged with disrupting traffic, obstructing the state from carrying out its duties and insulting the president, one of the security officials said.
