CFJ issues weekly bulletin on key human rights cases updates for the period November 23–28, 2024  

As part of its ongoing monitoring of legal developments related to important human rights cases in Egypt, the Committee for Justice (CFJ) has issued weekly bulletin detailing updates on significant cases for the week. The bulletin, published on its political cases agenda, aims to simplify access to session dates and case updates in a user-friendly format for the period from November 23 to 28, 2024. The updates are as follows:

1. Case Name: The Second Kerdasa ISIS Cell

• Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The Second Terrorism Circuit, headed by Judge Wagdy Abdel Moneim, postponed the trial of 13 defendants in Case No. 16663/2023 (Kerdasa Criminal Court), registered as No. 383/2023 (State Security Criminal Cases). The case, known publicly as “The Second Kerdasa ISIS Cell,” was adjourned to December 10, 2024, for witness hearings.

2. Case Name: Hassm Youth 2

• Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The First-Degree Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Wagdy Abdel Moneim, postponed the trial of 111 defendants accused of forming terrorist groups, misusing social media, possessing unauthorized firearms, and financing terrorism. The case was adjourned to January 12, 2025, for evidence review.

3. Case Name: The Kerdasa Explosives Cell

• Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The First-Degree Criminal Court, chaired by Judge Wagdy Abdel Moneim, adjourned the trial of 13 defendants in Case No. 16563/2023 (Kerdasa Criminal Court), registered as No. 2529/2023 (Supreme State Security), known as “The Kerdasa Explosives Cell,” to December 10, 2024, for prosecution witnesses.

4. Case Name: El-Salam Cell – Ali Hussein Mahdi

• Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The Second Terrorism Circuit sentenced defendant Ali Hussein Mahdi to life imprisonment for disseminating false information. This case, known as “The Salam Terrorist Cell,” also involved co-defendants who were previously convicted.

5. Case Name: Restructuring the Brotherhood’s Committees – The Shorouk Cell

• Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The Third Criminal Circuit, chaired by Judge Wagdy Mohamed Abdel Moneim, postponed the trial of 57 defendants linked to restructuring the Muslim Brotherhood’s administrative committees, known as “The Shorouk Cell,” to December 9, 2024, for defense arguments.

6. Case Name: The Qena ISIS Cell

• Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The First-Degree Criminal Court, chaired by Judge Wagdy Abdel Moneim, adjourned the trial of two defendants in Case No. 423/2023 (Supreme State Security), known as “The Qena ISIS Cell,” to December 22, 2024, for prosecution witness testimonies.

7. Case Name: The Committees of the Displaced

• Date: Monday, November 25, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The Third Criminal Circuit postponed the trial of 46 defendants in Case No. 380/2024 (Supreme State Security) to January 26, 2025, for defense preparation.

8. Case Name: Storming Etfih Police Station

• Date: Monday, November 25, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The First-Degree Criminal Court postponed the retrial of defendant Mahmoud Abdullah Mahmoud Khalaf, previously sentenced in absentia to 15 years for involvement in storming Atfih Police Station, to December 8, 2024.

9. Case Name: The 1000 Maskan Protests

• Date: Monday, November 25, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The First-Degree Criminal Court sentenced Ahmed Mohamed Abbas El-Motawalli, the primary defendant in the “Alf Maskan Protests,” to seven years in prison.

10. Case Name: Joining a Terrorist Group in Bolak El Dakrour 2

• Date: Monday, November 25, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The Second Criminal Circuit delayed its ruling in the retrial of defendant Mohamed Atef Ibrahim to November 26, 2024.

11. Case Name: Joining a Terrorist Group in Bolak El Dakrour 2

• Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The Second Criminal Circuit dismissed the case, citing prior resolution in Case No. 90/2015 (Dokki Criminal Court).

12. Case Name: The New Cairo Cell

• Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The First-Degree Criminal Court postponed the trial of 73 defendants in Case No. 11926/2022 (New Cairo Criminal Court), known as “The New Cairo Cell,” to January 14, 2025, for further defense arguments.

13. Case Name: The Media Terrorism Financing Network

• Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
• Location: Badr Prison Complex Courtrooms
• Details: The Third Criminal Circuit postponed the trial of 35 defendants, accused of running a media-based terrorism financing network, to January 13, 2025, for prosecution arguments.