(Photo By Ahmed Arab)
Alexandria based procurement manager and political activist Hassan Mustafa’s appeal was postponed until 18 May during a court hearing on Saturday.
Mustafa was sentenced to two years in prison in March, after he was arrested and accused of physically attacking prosecutor Ahmed Darwish on 21 January.
Darwish accused Mustafa of slapping him on the face, causing a ‘reddened left cheek’, according to a medical report.
The judge issued arrest warrants to the four eyewitnesses who testified against Mustafa during the investigations, according to Mustafa’s brother Mohamed Salem. The witnesses were summoned by the judge to testify during Saturday’s session but none of them appeared in court.
One of the witnesses who testified against Mustafa reportedly has a criminal record. Hamdy Khalaf, one of Mustafa’s lawyers, said he was suspicious of the witness’s testimony. He added that several charges have been brought against this witness by the prosecution district to which Darwish belongs.
Khalaf, along with fellow lawyer Maheinour Al-Massry, testified on Saturday. As eyewitnesses to the incident, both denied that Mustafa physically attacked Darwish.
The court did not summon Darwish to hear his testimony, Salem said.
“We hoped Darwish would be brought to court so that his lies would be presented upfront,” Salem said. “Yet it seems it’s difficult to summon him since he’s friends with the judges and prosecutors.”
The court refused to release Mustafa pending trial, although the judge stated the verdict against Mustafa issued in March is not enforceable.
Mustafa is a well-known activist in Alexandria. He was previously arrested on 6 April 2008 during a demonstration in support of the Mahalla workers’ strike.
