Egypt charges prominent rights lawyer over social media posts

Egyptian authorities have charged human rights lawyer Mahienour El-Massry with spreading false news in social media posts about Gaza and Egyptian prison conditions, reports AFP. Summoned to state security prosecutors on Monday, the 39-year-old was questioned for hours before being released on bail of 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,000).

Her lawyer Khaled Ali said the case stemmed from posts criticising Egypt’s response to the Israel–Hamas war and documenting prison conditions. El-Massry had recently joined a protest at Cairo’s Press Syndicate demanding that Arab leaders act on Gaza and that Egypt open the Rafah crossing.

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said this was the fourth state security case against her since 2019, part of what it called systematic targeting of activists. El-Massry, a well-known advocate for political prisoners and refugees, has been detained repeatedly over the past decade. Rights groups say President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s government continues to expand repression despite high-profile prisoner releases.