(AFP PHOTO / KHALED DESOUKI)
The mother and brother of Shura Council prisoner Mahmoud Yehia were detained whilst visiting her imprisoned son and husband in Torah Prison and referred to the prosecution Sunday morning. She was, however, released afterwards.
The woman remained in Maadi police station overnight while her son, Mahmoud’s brother, was soon released. She was detained after arguing with a police officer who refused to let her bring in to the prison special sweets for her diabetic son, but was soon also released.
According to a statement by independent Egyptian human rights observatory Freedom for the Brave, the woman cursed Hosni Mubarak as she was angered by the officer’s rejection. The police report accused her of bringing in sweets in for her diabetic son.
The arrests, which occurred on Mother’s Day, sparked angry reactions by some political activists who criticised the move. They said it was the police force’s worst Mother’s Day gift to the family.
“How much did I save with my bike for Egypt to be imprisoned for 15 years and get a EGP 100,000 fine?” was one of the most famous quotes for Mahmoud Yehia. Yehia is a biker and also a political and social advocate. He used to carry signs on his bike, including one that read “stop the crime of sexual harassment”, and roam around Cairo with the signs.
In December 2013, a group of activists protested in front of the Shura Council against an article in the constitutional draft issued by the former interim government stipulating the referral of civilians to military courts.
The Shura Council trial defendants include mostly students and young people, as well as reportedly a passerby who was in the vicinity of the protest and intervened after he saw the dispersal scene.
