The South Cairo Criminal Court has scheduled for 15 September the first trial session of 48 defendants, charged with involvement in violent protests in March 2014 during which a 22-year-old journalist, Mayada Ashraf, was shot dead.
(Photo courtesy of solidarity Facebook page with Mayada Ashraf)
According to state-run newspaper Al-Ahram on Sunday, the suspects have been charged with belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood organisation.
Official investigations state that they are members of one of the group’s “military wings”.
In a seperate incident on the same day, a young Coptic woman, named as Mary Sameh, was murdered after reportedly being dragged by a crowd and beaten to death. However, the state’s version, which was based on a report by the Forensic Medicine Authority, said she was shot in the chest.
Sameh’s killing is believed to be a hate crime, possibly by Islamists extremists who targeted her because of a cross hanging inside her car.
The Forensic Medicine Authority’s report, which also stated that Ashraf’s death was caused by a gunshot to the head, leads to fingers being pointed to the same perpetrators for both crimes. In fact, the 48 defendants are accused of the two murders, targeting journalists and Copts, and using weapons to attack civilians and security forces.
Former prosecutor general Hisham Barakat, who was assassinated in June, had referred the 48 suspects to the criminal court last April.
According to Barakat’s statement, 48 members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s different branches used weapons targeting civilians, police forces and journalists on 28 March last year.
Protests had erupted in the Ain Shams district of Cairo, which then turned violent. Ashraf was reportedly killed in the clashes between protesters and security forces whilst covering the events.
There were also accusations against the Ministry of Interior, with the accusations stating that the shots had come from the police forces’ side.
The prosecution said 25 of the suspects confessed to joining the Muslim Brotherhood and the Anti-Coup Alliance, for the purposes of forming armed groups “targeting Christians and media people”.
The case had sparked the outrage of reporters, who feel constantly targeted and endangered whilst carrying out their work. Former Head of the Press Syndicate Diaa Rashwan attempted to convince news institutions to reconsider the status of young journalists and provide them with more protection and safety, but in vain.
As a result, the syndicate ordered bulletproof vests, but journalists refused to wear them, claiming that they were going to become more obvious targets.
Newly elected president of the Press Syndicate Yehia Qallash honoured Ashraf’s soul by awarding her family the Press Syndicate’s Shield on the anniversary of her death.
