Egypt Watch

Egyptian authorities expand detention of political activist Nermin Hussein

Nermin Hussein, a 38-year-old Egyptian political activist, appeared, on Tuesday, before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, nine days after getting parole on another case. The SSSP accused Hussein of joining an illegal group and ordered her to 15 days in custody pending investigation of case no. 65 of 2021. The decision prevented the release of Hussein, and expanded her imprisonment circumventing the law.

Hussein was arrested from home, in March 2020, and was charged with joining a terrorist group and misuse of social media. Although she proved that her Facebook account has been closed, she was ordered into remand in case no. 535 of 2020. This case is known in media as the “corona case,” as it includes a couple of doctors and journalists who criticised Egypt’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

Hussein was detained frequently by the Egyptian authorities. In 2016, she was arrested for protesting Egypt’s concession of the Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabi. In August 2018, she was arrested with a number of Egyptian politicians, including Egyptian diplomat Ambassador Maasoum Marzouk, for calling for protests against al-Sisi’s rule. Hussein did not manage to stay at home for more than a few months before being detained again.