Prosecution authorities have extended by 15 days the detention of prominent lawyer Malek Adly , said defence lawyer Zyad El-Elaimy.
Lawyer Sayed El-Banna, as well as two other detainees, Sayed Gaber and Ahmed Salem, have also had their detentions extended.
“The prosecution renewed the detention and everything that has been published,” El-Elaimy said in a comment following the ruling.
Before the court session on Tuesday morning, El-Elaimy claimed that local newspaper Al-Mesaa published a story stating that Adly’s detention had been renewed by authorities a day before the session was scheduled. A copy of Al-Mesaa’s article was available online, dated 13 June.
“They could at least have the decency to wait for the prosecutor who will pretend to issue the new detention order,” El-Elaimy commented on Facebook, suggesting that the lawyers would not be heard as the prosecutor’s mind was already made up.
The detained group is facing accusations of spreading false news, based on the opinions expressed on the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir. By claiming the islands belong to Egypt, the members of the group opposed a maritime borders’ agreement signed in April between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Adly’s wife and his colleagues have denounced the conditions under which he has been detained, suggesting that there is an intentional abuse of his basic human rights. Adly is one of several lawyers who filed a lawsuit against the government demanding the annulment of the agreement. The case is being looked into by the State Council.
