The issue between the government and the residents of Warraq Island, located in Giza, is yet come to an end, as the state continues the legal prosecution of some residents the police arrested during clashes that broke on 16 July and left one resident dead and several policemen injured.
On Thursday, prosecution authorities referred nine arrested residents to criminal court. According to the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, the defendants, arrested during the funeral of the deceased resident, now face charges of assembling and using force against public officials. No date has been set for the first trial session yet.
Since the dispute between residents and security forces over the demolition of houses on grounds of them being illegal settlements on state-owned property, the government has maintained its intention to go through with law enforcement, although denying plans of evacuating the area to use it for other projects with foreign investment.
This comes as the Al-Youm Al-Sabea wesbite, close to security authorities, said Friday that the Giza Security Directorate is seeking to expand a small police station on Warraq Island “in order to maintain security order and arrest outlaws,” adding that more residents were wanted by the prosecution as a result of the July clashes.
