Hearing in ‘Raml police station’ case
Egypt
On 17 November 2014, the Raml Misdemeanour Court held a hearing in the ‘Raml police station’ criminal case in which human rights lawyer Ms. Mahienour el-Massry is being prosecuted. The court heard three testimonies provided by witnesses presented by the defence. The defense additionally requested the court to summon the persons who filed the complaint against Ms. Mahienour el-Massry, and to include the administrative police case report. The decision of the court was to adjourne the trial to 8 December to hear the pleas of the defence and to include the police case report.
Ms. El-Massry was referred to court on charges of “assaulting security forces” after, in March 2013, she and other lawyers went to Raml police station to provide legal assistance to three activists who were arrested and sent to the police by supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood (the “Raml police station” case). The lawyers were attacked by the police in the police station, and Ms. El-Massry was detained briefly before the Prosecution decided to release her and the others.
Furthermore, El-Masry was sentenced on 2 January, 2014 (in her absence) to a two year prison sentence and a fine of 50.000 Egyptian pounds (about 5.000 Euros), on allegations of violating the protest law, “assaulting security forces”, and “disrupting traffic”, after she attended a peaceful demonstration. On 21 September 2014, the Court of Appeal in Alexandria accepted the petition to quash human rights lawyer Mahienour el-Masry’s sentence. She was released the very same day. Her release came shortly after she was awarded with the ‘Ludivic Trarieux’ award, which she accepted on 31 October in Florence, Italy.
Please see this video of her speech: