Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered the release of political activist Ahmed Douma on bail of 50,000 Egyptian pounds (around $1,000) on Tuesday, according to a Facebook post by human rights lawyer Khaled Ali.
In a Facebook post following his release, Douma said this was the third time in recent months he had been summoned over social media activity, describing the latest investigation as “ludicrous” and based on a “farcical” State Security report.
He was accused of spreading false news, disturbing public peace, inciting panic, and undermining state institutions over four Facebook posts. These included critical comments on the recent “Road of Death” tragedy and Egypt’s role in the supply of aid to Gaza.
Another of the posts under investigation was an image of the cover of the Arabic translation of the Spanish novel “Tonto, muerto, bastardo e invisible” (“Foolish, dead, bastard, and invisible”). This was prefaced with the line, “O ruler, this is the title of a novel. Don’t use it to take me to court!”
The activist said he was released after more than five hours of questioning, on 50,000 pounds bail — an amount he had asked to be waived or reduced due to his inability to pay.
Douma thanked his legal team, including lawyers Huda Nasrallah, Nabeh Elganadi, and Khaled Ali, as well as friends who waited for him outside the prosecution building for eight hours. “May the next release be for the kidnapped nation,” he wrote, signing off with the hashtag #FreeThemAll.
Douma had been summoned for questioning in a new case, the details of which are unknown, marking the fourth legal proceeding against him in recent months. “This is in addition to dozens of complaints, smear campaigns, assaults, and restrictions on my basic rights since my release from prison,” Douma wrote online after he was summoned on Monday.
“I wish the authorities would pay attention to the disasters affecting Egyptians and Egypt with every breath they take, rather than chasing after articles, poems, and social media posts,” he added.
In April, Douma was released on bail of 10,000 pounds ($200) in case No. 2563/2025, where he was accused of “spreading false news domestically and abroad,” according to Khaled Ali. If convicted, Douma could face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 500,000 pounds ($10,000), or both, under Article 80(d) of the Penal Code. The constitutionality of this article—which imposes harsher penalties for “false news” shared outside Egypt—is under legal scrutiny.
The investigation in that case reportedly focused on a Facebook post from April 13, in which Douma accused a police informant in Cairo’s Tora Investigation Prison of causing the death of a convicted drug offender.
At the time, eight human rights organizations issued a joint statement urging Prosecutor General Mohamed Shawky to drop the investigation and “ensure the prosecution is not misused to harass dissenters.”
The rights groups said the opaque summons signaled “an ongoing campaign by Egyptian authorities to intimidate and restrict opposition voices.”
Douma was previously summoned in November 2024 in case No. 5892/2024, over social media posts. He was released then on 20,000 pounds bail.
Douma was released in August 2023 via presidential pardon. He had been sentenced in 2013 to 15 years in prison over the Cabinet Clashes case.
