An Egyptian criminal court on Monday extended the pretrial detention of labor organizer Shady Mohamed and five others for an additional 45 days, according to Islam Salama, a lawyer with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
The six defendants have been held for nearly 14 months in connection with Case No. 1644 of 2024, widely known as the “Pro-Palestine Banner Case.”
Shady Mohamed, a founding member of the Permanent Conference of Alexandria Workers, was arrested on April 29, 2024, outside his home and taken by a security force to an unknown location, his wife told Al Manassa at the time.
Shady's arrest came one day after five other young men were taken from their homes in Alexandria.
All six appeared before State Security prosecutors on April 30, 2024, who questioned them about hanging a banner in solidarity with Palestine from a bridge in Alexandria.
Prosecutors charged Mohamed with “founding a terrorist group,” and all six of the defendants with “joining a terrorist organization, spreading false news, disturbing public peace, and participating in an unauthorized gathering.”
“Shady appeared via video link from Borg El-Arab prison, while the others also attended remotely from 10th of Ramadan Prison 6,” Salama told Al Manassa.
“We demanded their release, arguing the charges were baseless, the investigations had yielded nothing new, and all they did was hang a banner in solidarity with Gaza,” Salama said. “We also raised the matter of harm to their families from their detention, given that some are the sole breadwinners.”
Mohamed's wife, Salwa Rashid, expressed frustration over the renewed detention. She noted that rumors about the possible release of detainees held over pro-Palestinian actions frequently circulate, but nothing ever materializes.
“After the Gaza ceasefire in January, we expected their release. President El-Sisi and officials speak out against transfer and support Palestinian rights. These detainees share the same stance. So why are they in prison?” she added.
On Jan. 29, Mohamed began a full hunger strike to protest his transfer from 10th of Ramadan Prison 6 to Borg El-Arab Prison and the confiscation of his belongings. Following the announcement of Mohamed's strike and the prison's denial of his presence, political parties, labor organizations, and human rights groups launched a widespread solidarity campaign.
They demanded the disclosure of his whereabouts and health status, urged authorities to ensure his physical and psychological well-being, and called for his immediate and unconditional release, along with the dropping of all charges against him and the other defendants related to their support for Palestine.
Shady’s hunger strike continued for more than four weeks. He decided to end it after his treatment by the prison administration improved, his wife Salwa Rashid told Al Manassa after visiting him in the prison hospital.
A prominent trade unionist, Mohamed previously led the independent union at Nile Linen Group in Alexandria’s free zone before his dismissal in 2019 over his participation in protests over pay.
Shady had previously been arrested on October 3, 2022, inside a bus belonging to the textiles company where he was working at the time. He was then brought before the El-Dekheila Prosecution in Alexandria, which ordered his pre-trial detention in connection with Case No. 10233 of 2022, on charges of “joining a terrorist group” and “spreading false news.” He was incarcerated in Borg El-Arab Prison before the Public Prosecutor of West Alexandria decided to release him on October 24, 2022.
This month, the Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered the detention of new defendants, including lawyer-in-training Seif Mamdouh Ahmed, for 15 days pending investigation. This decision came more than a month after their arrest on charges of raising solidarity banners with the Gaza Strip in public places, including the steps of Cairo University, an incident that dates back to May 4.
Since Israel’s assault on Gaza in October 2023, Egyptian security forces have arrested 186 people in 16 cases tied to peaceful pro-Palestine activity — including protests, banners, and humanitarian efforts — according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
The group warned that the crackdown is now extending to social circles of detainees. As of June 2025, 150 people remain imprisoned in 12 open cases, including three minors under 18.
