Detention of cartoonist Ashraf Omar renewed for 45 days

Badr Criminal Court has extended the pretrial detention of cartoonist Ashraf Omar by 45 days, pending investigation in case no. 1968 of 2024, his lawyer Nabih Al-Ganady told Al Manassa.

Al-Ganady said the session began without Ashraf present. "I requested his attendance, and he later appeared on screen," he noted. The session lasted only a few minutes, and according to the lawyer, Ashraf did not raise any complaints regarding his detention conditions.

No new investigations were conducted during the session, Al-Ganady added. He had petitioned for Ashraf's release, but the court rejected the request.

Ashraf is facing charges by the Supreme State Security Prosecution of "spreading false news, misusing social media, and joining an illegal group." He was arrested from his home on July 22, 2024, when plainclothes security forces raided the premises, blindfolded and handcuffed him, and took him to an undisclosed location.

The Al Manassa cartoonist was forcibly disappeared for two days before appearing before the State Security Prosecution, which ordered his detention for 15 days following a six-hour interrogation. He has remained in pretrial custody since.

In an earlier statement to Al Manassa, rights lawyer Khaled Ali explained that the court's review chamber is authorized to renew pretrial detention for up to 45 days at a time, so long as the total duration does not exceed 18 months from the date of arrest.

Ali called for Ashraf's release, arguing that the ongoing detention without further investigation indicates that pretrial custody is being used punitively, rather than as a procedural safeguard.

Prior to his February 6 hearing, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) issued a statement urging Public Prosecutor Mohamed Shawky to immediately release Ashraf.

The statement also cited the arrest of journalist Ahmed Serag, who was detained after conducting an interview with Ashraf's wife, Nada Mougheeth, about the circumstances of his arrest and detention.

Nada was herself summoned by the State Security Prosecution on January 15 and charged under case no. 7 of 2025 with "joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media." She was released on bail of 5,000 Egyptian pounds (around $99).

EIPR reiterated that no "credible evidence or exhibits" have been presented to support terrorism-related charges against Ashraf, Ahmed, or Nada. The prosecutions, it said, appear to be retaliation for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression.

The organization emphasized the importance of upholding Article 134 of Egypt's Code of Criminal Procedure, which limits pretrial detention to specific precautionary cases—none of which, it argued, apply to Ashraf or the others.

A total of 822 writers, artists, and intellectuals signed a statement of solidarity calling for Ashraf's release. They described his arrest as a "deeply concerning indication of increasing constraints on cultural and artistic expression," particularly in light of his notable contributions to translation and political cartooning.

Ashraf's arrest and detention have sparked broad condemnation from press freedom advocates. Thirty-four Egyptian and international human rights and media organizations, including Article 19, denounced the imprisonment of journalists in Egypt.

On August 7, eleven rights groups condemned the targeting, prosecution, and enforced disappearance of journalists solely for carrying out their professional duties.

Reporters Without Borders also criticized Ashraf's arrest. Jonathan Dagher, Head of the Middle East Desk, said: "Unfortunately, it is not uncommon in Egypt for journalists to disappear before reappearing in a courtroom a few days later as prisoners."

He added that such methods are incompatible with the rule of law. "These practices that terrorize journalists must stop," he said.

Additionally, the Committee to Protect Journalists called for Ashraf's immediate release, while Amnesty International condemned the renewed detention, describing it as part of an "escalation in their crackdown on the right to freedom of expression and independent media."