Egypt authorities arrest prominent socialist activist

Egyptian police have arrested three prominent activists in recent days, with Amnesty International condemning Cairo's attacks on freedom of expression.

MENA

2 min read

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19 May, 2018

Egypt has waged a massive crackdown on dissent since 2013 [Getty]

Prominent activist and labour rights lawyer Haithem Mohamedeen was arrested by Egyptian authorities on Friday, security officials said.

Mohamedeen, a member of the Revolutionary Socialists movement, faces an array of charges including belonging to an outlawed group.

Security sources told Reuters he would be questioned by the state security prosecution on potential charges of joining a terrorist organisation and calling for the overthrow of the regime by publishing false news.

According to lawyer Mohamed Abdel Aziz, national security and police personnel stormed Mohamadeen's Giza home before arresting him, Mada Masr reported.

Rights group Amnesty International has condemned the arrest as "another attack on the right to freedom of expression and association" and called for his release.

Egypt has waged a massive crackdown on dissent since the 2013 overthrow of elected Islamist president Mohammed Morsi after mass protests against his one year divisive rule.

Earlier this week, Egyptian activist Shady el-Ghazaly Harb was detained on charges including insulting President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and spreading fake news.

A week previous, police detained activist Amal Fathy after she posted a video criticising the government's failure to address sexual harassment in the country.

Amnesty called Fathy's arrest a "new low in Egypt's crackdown on freedom of expression".