Egypt Detains Mosque Imam and 19 Others After Forced Disappearance
The detainees, including a mosque imam who spoke in support of Palestine, face charges related to spreading false news and alleged links to a terrorist group.
Watan-Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution has ordered the detention of a mosque imam and 19 other young men who had been forcibly disappeared for varying periods, some for several months. After appearing at the prosecution’s headquarters, they were interrogated and subsequently remanded in custody for 15 days pending investigations into multiple cases.
On Wednesday, the prosecution charged them with offenses including “spreading and broadcasting false news and statements,” “joining a terrorist group and participating in achieving its goals while being aware of its objectives,” “misusing social media,” “using the internet to promote crimes,” and “financing and promoting violence.”
Egyptian Imam Arrested After Sermon on Palestine
A source from the Supreme State Security Prosecution stated that among those who appeared was Sheikh Moataz Billah Al-Kamel Ahmed Al-Bahbouhi, an imam from the Beni Suef administration in the “Mashahira” area of Haram Midoum. He was arrested by security forces after delivering a sermon at the mosque and was forcibly disappeared for several days before reappearing at the prosecution’s office.
The source added that the imam’s sermon supported the Palestinian cause and criticized Egypt, as well as Arab and Islamic states, for their stance on Israel’s aggression against Gaza. His arrest and enforced disappearance followed shortly after.
Families of the detained young men had previously filed complaints with the Public Prosecutor, reporting their enforced disappearance after being arrested by Egyptian security forces.
The list of detainees who reappeared after being subjected to enforced disappearance includes Ashraf El-Sayed Bakr, Zaki Mohamed Mehran, Sameh Abdo Ibrahim, Saeed Ali Sweilem, El-Sayed Saeed Mostafa, El-Shazly Mohamed Farag, Shaaban Sayed Khalil, Abdelrahman Mohsen Qarni, Gharib Mahmoud Ghrab, Mohamed Ahmed Saad, Mohamed El-Sayed Abdel Latif, Mohamed Ramadan Hussein, Mohamed Ali Abdel Tawab, Mohamed Farag Rashad, Mohamed Wagih El-Sheikh, Mahmoud Mohamed El-Hefny, Mahmoud Matrawy Saeed, Walid Mohamed El-Shazly, and Youssef Rafiq Saqr.
