What is Egypt's Case 621?

Egypt has recently witnessed a string of arrests for young bloggers, activists and media figures. These were all reportedly part of an ongoing investigation by the country's Supreme State Security apparatus (Amn al-Dawla al-Olya) under the name of "case 621 for the year 2018".

It is important to bear in mind that this is still in the investigations phase - so it has not been referred to trial in court thus far.

While it is unclear what triggered these investigations, we know that they are being carried out by the Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution, and not the General-Prosecutor's office. The State Security is a high-profile apparatus that mainly deals with issues of national security.

According to mainstream Egyptian media, case 621 looks into "activities of [Muslim] Brotherhood elements to thwart the presidential election, and incite public opinion"* - a description probably borrowed by local judicial reporters from their sources.

It is interesting to note that while this is how case 621 is often referred to in Egyptian media, none of those arrested so far were actually members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The particular pertinence of the recent presidential election (that was held in March 2018) is also not established in any of the local media reports.

In addition, the connections that those arrested have with one another is also unclear, as are the vague accusations that they face.

However, the fact that many of those arrested were detained for 15 days is quite significant, because it indicates the authorities' view on the gravity and seriousness of their alleged involvement in the case.

Some local rights organizations believe this case to be a tool to arrest dissident voices in an increasingly limited media sphere in Egypt. 

Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution has recently investigated several high-profile security cases, including terrorist activity in the Sinai Peninsula. However, the apparatus also looked into a case where young people were arrested for holding up rainbow flags during a concert for the Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila (whose lead singer is openly gay) held in Cairo in September 2017.

So far, this has been the timeline for case 621 as reported in local media:

Muhammad Ibrahim (L) and Sherif al-Rouby (R)

On 17 April, Supreme State Security Prosecution headed by Judge Khalid Diaa al-Din ordered a 15-day detention (pending investigations) of Sherif al-Rouby, member of the April 6 Youth Movement, and blogger and freelance journalist Muhammad Ibrahim (aka Muhammad Oxygen). They were accused of spreading false news and joining a group formed in violation of laws and the constitution. The prosecution renewed their 15-day detentions on 29 April, again on 13 May, and again on 12 June.

Radwan and Al-Rouby were arrested on 6 and 8 April respectively, but their location remained unknown until 17 April.

Shadi Abu Zeid

On 8 May, Supreme State Security Prosecution issued a similar 15-day detention order for young activist and blogger (and former TV reporter for CBC's Abla Fahita satire show) Shadi Abu Zeid. He was also accused of spreading false news and joining a group formed in violation of laws and the constitution. The prosecution renewed Abu Zeid’s detention for a further 15 days on 23 May, and again on 4 June.

Abu Zeid was arrested from his house on 6 May, and his location was unknown to his family until 8 May.

Shadi al-Ghazali Harb

On 15 May, Supreme State Security Prosecution issued a 15-day detention for prominent Egyptian activist and ex-leading member of the Constitution Party Shadi al-Ghazali Harb for the same accusations. His 15-day detention was renewed on 29 May and on 11 June.

Amal Fathi

Meanwhile, Amal Fathi, a member of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), was ordered a 15-day detention pending investigations on 12 May in case 7991 for the year 2018 by a local Cairo prosecution office (al-Maadi prosecution). Fathi was accused of spreading clips on social media defaming state institutions and inciting illegal acts. She was reportedly arrested with her husband Muhammad Lotfy (co-founder of ECRF) on 11 May, but he wasn't detained. 

Al-Maadi prosecution renewed the detention of Fathi for a further 15 days on 24 May, and again on 7 June. However, al-Maadi prosecution released Fathi on 19 June on bail.

However, in addition, the Supreme State Security Prosecution has also ordered Fathi's arrest for the investigations ongoing for case 621.


Other recent arrests (unrelated to case 621): 

Azza al-Hinnawi

On 22 May, Judge Ferial Qutb**, head of the Administrative Prosecution, referred TV Anchor Azza al-Hinnawi to a disciplinary court for spreading false news. This came after Egypt's Supreme Council for Media Regulation referred al-Hinnawi to the Administrative Prosecution after she gave a 30-minute phone interview to al-Sharq TV (widely perceived to be pro-Muslim Brotherhood) in which she spoke about government control over the media in Egypt.

Haitham Muhammadein

On 19 May, the Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered a 15-day detention for Haitham Muhammadein, labour lawyer and prominent political activist known for his membership of the Revolutionary Socialists, pending investigations in case 718 for the year 2018. He was reportedly accused of involvement in recent protests against price hikes of Cairo's underground metro service.

Wael Abbas

On 23 May, prominent blogger and activist Wael Abbas was arrested by Egyptian authorities. On 24 May, the Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered his detention for 15-days pending investigations for case 441 for the year 2018. He also faces accusations of joining a group formed in violation of the constitution and spreading false news.

* Unofficial translation for:
"تحركات العناصر الإثارية الإخوانية لإفشال الانتخابات الرئاسية وتأليب الرأي العام"

** Female judge (I think this is the first time I have read about a female judge in action in the news. Qutb was officially appointed as head of the Administrative Prosecution in September 2017)

Egyptian journalists now have to "revere" top religious leaders

Egypt's Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) issued a decision on 21 May ordering all press, radio and TV to add religious forms of address and full titles when mentioning the country's top Islamic and Christian leaders.

This means saying/writing His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and His Eminence Grand Imam of al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyib.

Head of the SCMR Makram Muhammad Ahmed said that this decision was taken in order "to return to the original traditions" of the press. He added that he had noticed that media reports were recently referring to al-Tayyib and Tawadros II "normally" without any recognition for their status.

Needless to say, this caused a flurry of comments from journalists in Egypt on social media platforms, many of them ridiculing the decision. One asked, shall we add The Cinderella before the name of Soad Hosni now too (a late classic Egyptian movie star popularly known by this title)? Many wondered who would be next: the president? the prime minister? Some naturally argued that the right place for such forms of address was mosques and churches - and that journalists carried an obligation to report impartially.

It is amusing to imagine how a journalist would write a report according to this rule, if one of these figures gets involved in a negative series of actions or events.

Interestingly, though, one would often see Egyptian media reports mentioning al-Tayyib with only a short title such as "the mufti" or "Sheikh", and referring to him thereafter in the report as "al-Tayyib". And nothing would be a cause for concern. However, I do not think this ever applied to Tawadors II, who is always referred to as "the pope" - perhaps due to sectarian sensitivities in the country? Muslim journalists' lack of knowledge on what to do with his title? Adopting this style from those before and from Western media?

Anyway, we need to watch out now for future reports mentioning al-Tayyib or Tawadros II, and see to what degree this decision will be followed.

Solo

They say that the word loneliness is a creation of the English language to express one’s pain for being alone. The word solitude, however, with the grandeur it indeed carries in its sound, expresses the glory of – what appears to be – the other side of the very same experience. Yet one of the cruelest punishments people experience in prisons around the world is dubbed “solitary confinement”. 

When I stay too long in my 16 sqm comfortable warm room that has a private bathroom, small kitchenette and fast internet access – and for which I have my own keys – my mind finds a way to think about solitary confinement. How can linguists (I believe) associate the word solitude with grandness and politicians (or who else?) choose it as a label for a most horrifying ordeal for the mind? Euphemism cannot be an acceptable justification. It feels like a betrayal.  

My first encounter with the word “solitary” was on a boat trip in Ireland. As our boat sailed near the banks of the lake we saw an elegant white bird, standing alone, holding its head high. They told us that it was called the Heron and that it was a “solitary” bird because it lived alone. A few years later, I studied English literature in secondary school. Our teachers often emphasized the soliloquies in Shakespeare’s plays. They were significant character highlights – analyzed in detail and read for insight. The soliloquy seemed to not only be the character’s personal voice, but their true self and the heart of their dilemma in the classic drama. I wonder if the words “solitary” and “soliloquy” are drawn from the same linguistic source. 

Since I moved alone to Berlin, I am often left with a lot of time to myself. And even while I do things, I feel a quietness in my heart, as if I am in a world where no one else is. I walk down the streets, take the underground train, shop at the supermarket, visit the bank, stand in line, go down and up the stairs and in the middle of the hustle – my ears seem to hear nothing. I walk like I am in a dream. I would imagine that it feels as though I am in a movie where the camera concentrates on my steps or my face while everything else is a blur. And the only focus is on my very own self.  

I cannot figure out if my quietness, which is not serene, but sometimes sad and other times calm, qualifies as solitude. I would like to think that I am trying to be a Heron, proud and beautiful alone. But does the Heron feel isolated from the tree branches, water banks and blue skies? I do not think that it does. While it may be absent from company, it is not absent from life. And this is indeed why it earns its description as solitary and why the word exists to pay tribute to this unique experience.

I did believe, however, before I came to Berlin, that it would be easy to be a Heron. What not to admire about solitude? It is a complete reconciliation with the self. An end to the tumultuous battles of the mind. A forgiveness for all the guilt and all the shortcomings. It is a heartfelt acceptance for one’s being. And along with all of that: a deserved indulgence in life and feeling alive. 

It was innocent of me to believe that this would not be hard to achieve. Another thing that people say is that you may run away from everything, but you will always end up against yourself. So during my days and nights I often find myself thinking about memories from the past - mistakes, embarrassments, loss, anything and everything. There are memories that I wish I hadn’t remembered (or wish had never happened), but there are also things that do not pain me anymore. Herons are born solitary, but maybe we should be just as reconciled with our lives being a work-in-progress, herons-in-progress. 

Also, ganz allein hier! I ended up with good old Reem, whose brain thinks of why they gave “solitary confinement” its name. I cannot help but think that it was a shallow choice. Maybe the decision was made by people who did not really experience any solitude or loneliness in their busy lifetimes. Why didn’t they call it “individual imprisonment”? And rip it off completely of anything resembling a natural human experience? It is unfair.