Egyptian authorities released lawyer Ayman Essam on Wednesday, hours after the House of Representatives passed amendments to the old rent law, his lawyer Mahmoud Yassin confirmed in a Facebook post.
Essam’s release came just two days after prosecutors extended his detention for 15 more days pending investigation in case No. 4881/2025.
He had appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on June 21, two days after being arrested in Alexandria while heading to a tenants’ meeting.
Prior to that, Essam had participated in parliamentary hearings on proposed amendments to Egypt’s 1981 rent law—also known as the old rent law—which regulates long-term leases.
He rejected provisions that would terminate leases and liberalize rents, urging instead a gradual increase in rent while maintaining tenant protections.
Yesterday, the House of Representatives finalized its approval of the old rent law amendments during Wednesday’s general session. Lawmakers introduced a change to Article 8 requiring the government to provide alternative housing for original tenants and their spouses at least one year before the transitional period ends.
EIPR said in a previous statement that prosecutors questioned Essam about his involvement in the Tenants Union and his stance on the government’s proposed rent law. He faced charges of “joining a terrorist organization and spreading false news.”
Essam’s defense team argued that the charges were baseless, pointing out that he had received official permission to attend parliamentary sessions as a representative of affected tenants. They maintained that his arrest stemmed from his legal work advocating for tenats affected by the draft law.
Parliament had postponed debate on the rent law amendments just one day earlier, citing lack of data on tenant numbers and the absence of a government plan to house those displaced by the legislation. Despite those concerns, lawmakers ultimately passed the bill without such details.
