An Egyptian court on Tuesday renewed the pretrial detention of Al Manassa cartoonist Ashraf Omar for an additional 45 days, according to his lawyer Nabeh Elganadi.
Omar appeared at the detention renewal hearing via video conference, and his health appeared stable, Elganadi told Al Manassa. “He had no complaints or requests,” the lawyer said.
Omar has been in custody since July 22, 2024, and is being investigated in case No. 1968 of 2024 by Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution. He faces charges of “spreading false news,” “misusing social media,” and “joining a group established in violation of the law.”
Rights groups have condemned his arrest, which followed a raid by plainclothes security forces on his home. He was reportedly blindfolded and taken to an undisclosed location, where he was held incommunicado for two days before appearing at the prosecution office.
On Aug. 7, 2024, 11 human rights organizations denounced what they called the security and judicial targeting of journalists in Egypt, as well as practices of enforced disappearance.
On the one-year anniversary of his arrest, 23 Egyptian and international press and rights organizations called for Omar's immediate release, describing the date as a “day of sorrow” and warning that “a year of his life has been stolen.”
The day before, a literary event at the Journalists' Syndicate turned into a show of solidarity for Omar. The gathering, originally planned to discuss Omar's translation of British intellectual John Molyneux's book “Dialectics of Art” into Arabic, became a forum for demanding his release and that of other detainees held on publishing and opinion charges.
In February 2025, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights had also urged the public prosecutor to release Omar immediately.
Separately, more than 800 writers, artists and cultural workers have signed a solidarity statement criticizing the ongoing detention of a young intellectual whose contributions through cartooning and translation they described as vital to Egypt's cultural life.
Prominent international watchdogs have also weighed in. Reporters Without Borders condemned the arrest. “Unfortunately, it is not uncommon in Egypt for journalists to disappear before reappearing in a courtroom a few days later as prisoners,” said RSF's Middle East desk head Jonathan Dagher. “This type of method is not befitting a state of law.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists has echoed the call for Omar's release, while Amnesty International said the case reflects a broader crackdown on independent journalism and freedom of expression.
