While he won`t face a military trial, blogger and activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah will be tried in a state security court, which may be worse.
The High State Security Prosecution has ordered the extension of blogger Alaa Abd El-Fattah`s detention for another 15 days, pending investigations.
Abd El-Fattah was accused by the military prosecution of theft of military arms, attacking military personnel, destroying military properties and inciting hate and violence against military personnel during the 9 October Maspero clashes in which a number of activists and protesters died, some run over by military vehicles.
He was detained pending investigation for nearly a month while refusing to cooperate with the military prosecution given his refusal of military trials for civilians.
Abd El-Fattah also refused to cooperate with the military prosecution because in his view the military police was involved in the Maspero clashes; thus the military prosecution should not investigate this case, demanding an independent civilian prosecution committee to investigate the case.
The Maspero clashes case was referred from military to civil prosecution by the orders of head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) Field Marshal Tantawi based on SCAF communique 82 last Tuesday.
Despite that many expected that the case be referred to the general prosecution, it was transferred to the High State Security Prosecution, which is an exceptional prosecution body that functions under emergency law and does not accepts appeals but only pardons from the head of state.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s mother has been on a hunger strike for more than two weeks demanding his release while his wife, blogger and activist Manal Hassan, is expected to give birth to their son Khaled this week.
[Developed in partnership with Ahram Online]