The Suez military court sentenced revolutionary activist Bassem Mohsen Al-Wardani to two years in jail on Sunday. Al-Wardani was arrested on 9 Julyduring the trial of eight activists arrested in relation to the Abasseya clashes in May.
Detainees were arrested in front of the Suez Governorate building on Friday, 4 May, while demonstrating against the clashes which occurred between protesters and the military police in the Abasseya district on the same day.
People had been gathering in front of the Suez military court since the beginning of the trial for the Abasseya protesters, joined by families of the defendants as well as some activists from Cairo. The sentencing of eight political activists on 9 July led to fights on the courthouse steps, which resulted in the arrest of nine people. Al-Wardani was among them.
Ragia Omran, prominent lawyer and member of the No Military Trials movement tweeted about Al-Wardani’s sentence on her personal account saying:
“On Morsy’s 43rd day as president, Bassem Mohsen, a brave youth who lost an eye during the Mohamed Mahmoud clashes, got a two-year sentence by the Suez Military Court.”
Two weeks ago, Ahmad Ibrahim Saeed, another activist in the No Military Trials for Civilians movement, was kidnapped by unknown assailants
“Then the beating and swearing started, warning me against releasing videos with military trials victims’ testimonies, holding conferences for those militarily detained,” Saeed explained. “’Forget about those detained in Suez’ they told me.’”
According to Saeed, the kidnappers also specifically warned him against advocating for Al-Wardani, who was detained in Suez on the day a verdict came on 9 July regarding military detainees in Suez, sentencing them all to prison.
