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Egyptian court extends pretrial detention of rights defender Marwa Arafa, violating the law

News briefing

By: The Committee for Justice

Geneva: July 12, 2023

 

The Egyptian Criminal Court has ruled, in its session on July 10th, to extend the pretrial detention of translator, human rights defender Marwa Arafa for an additional 45 days pending investigations of case No. 570 of 2020 (Supreme State Security). Arafa has surpassed the maximum duration of pretrial detention and has spent the past three years behind bars.

 

Following her arrest in April 2020, Arafa faces charges of joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes and committing a crime of financing for terrorist purposes.

 

The Committee for Justice strongly condemns the prolonged pretrial detention of Marwa Arafa, which violates Egyptian law, and calls on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release her and cease using pretrial detention as a punishment against human rights defenders.