Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution on Sunday extended the detention of researcher Ismail Alexandrani for another 15 days, according to rights lawyer Khaled Ali.
Ali announced the decision in a Facebook post, saying the hearing was held via video conference. Alexandrani appeared “visibly exhausted,” Ali wrote, noting that while prison authorities had allowed the delivery of his CPAP breathing machine, the essential mask remained missing.
“He explained that the mask was not with him when he was brought before the prosecution following his arrest by the National Security Agency,” Ali said. Alexandrani also confirmed he was receiving diabetes medication but remained confined to the intake ward of the 10th of Ramadan Rehabilitation 6 Prison.
Security forces arrested Alexandrani last month at a checkpoint in Marsa Matrouh while he was returning from Siwa. The arrest was based on an outstanding warrant issued by the State Security Prosecution.
Twelve hours later, prosecutors ordered his detention pending investigation of 18 Facebook posts, on charges of “spreading false news,” “joining a terrorist group,” and “using an online platform to promote terrorist ideas.”
According to Ali, the defense team objected to the extension, arguing that the legal basis for Alexandrani’s continued pretrial detention was no longer valid. They also rejected the false news charge, describing him as a journalist who rigorously verifies his reporting and aims to “contribute to the development and reform of state institutions.”
Alexandrani was previously released on Dec. 4, 2022, after completing a seven-year sentence handed down by a military court in case No. 18 of 2018. He had been convicted of “belonging to a banned group,” “obtaining classified military information,” and “publishing false news about conditions in Sinai.”
He had first been arrested on Nov. 29, 2015, upon arriving at Hurghada Airport from Berlin. At the time, Alexandrani had been preparing a master’s thesis on comparative religion. He was later charged with “membership in an outlawed group established in violation of the law” and “spreading false news and statements about the situation in Sinai.”
Last week, 13 Egyptian and international human rights organizations condemned Alexandrani’s re-arrest. The case reflects a revival of repressive tactics, warning that it sends a chilling message regarding Egypt’s public sphere remaining shuttered, with dissenting voices still being silenced, their joint statement asserted.
