On 28 July, the supreme state security prosecution renewed the pre-trial detention of woman human rights defender Sanaa Seif for 15 days in state security case 659/2020. She faces charges of inciting terrorist crimes, publishing and broadcasting false news and statements that call for a disturbance of public security, misusing social media and using the internet to promote calls for terrorist acts. Her detention was previously renewed on 19 July, and on both occasions the detention renewal session took place without her appearing before the prosecutor.  

Sanaa Seif is a woman human rights defender and film editor. She is the youngest sister of prominent activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who has been in pre-trial detention since September 2019. She was arrested on 23 June 2020 in front of the Public Prosecutor’s office while she was filing a report about physical assault against her outside Tora Prison complex. Over 200 artists from around the world, as well as international organisations such as EuroMed Rights, have signed a public statement calling for her release.  

On 27 July, Cairo Criminal court renewed the pre-trial detention of human rights lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer and bloggers Alaa Abdel Fattah and Mohamed Oxygen for 45 days in state security case 1356/2019. They face charges of engaging with a terrorist group to help achieve its goals, committing crimes related to funding, and spreading false news and statements. According to his family, this was the first time in five months that Mr el-Baqer attended his own pre-trial detention renewal session.  

Alaa Abdel Fattah is a prominent activist who has been in pre-trial detention since 29 September 2019. Mohamed el-Baqer was arrested the same day when attending Alaa’s investigation session in his capacity as a human rights lawyer. Mohamed Oxygen, or Mohamed Ibrahim, is an Egyptian activist who ran a blog and a YouTube channel and was arrested on 21 September 2019.

On 27 July, Cairo Criminal court renewed the pre-trial detention of activist Sameh Seoudi for 45 days in state security case 1338/2019, on charges of engaging with a terrorist group to help achieve its aims, misusing social media, spreading false news and statements, and protesting without permission.  

On 26 July, Cairo Criminal court renewed the pre-trial detention of journalist Khaled Daoud and human rights lawyer Mahienour el-Massry for 45 days in state security case 488/2019. They face charges of engaging with a terrorist group to help achieve its goals, spreading false news and statements, and misusing social media.

On 25 July, Cairo Criminal court renewed the pre-trial detention of human rights lawyer Zyad el-Elaimy and journalists Hossam Moanis and Hisham Fouad for 45 days in state security case 930/2019. They face charges of engaging with a terrorist group to help achieve its goals and spreading false news.

All three defendants were arrested on 25 June 2019 as part of an arrest campaign known as the “Hope case,” that targeted members of the “Hope” political opposition alliance which planned to participate in the parliamentary elections.

On 25 July, Cairo Criminal court renewed the pre-trial detention of human rights lawyer Haitham Mohamedeen for 45 days in state security case 741/2019, in which he is accused of engaging with a terrorist group to help achieve its goals, misusing social media and spreading false news and statements.

Haitham Mohamedeen is a labour rights lawyer and left-wing activist who was arrested in May 2019.

On 22 July, the supreme state security prosecution renewed the pre-trial detention of journalist and researcher Shimaa Samy for 15 days in state security case 535/2020, in which she faces charges of joining a terrorist group, misusing social media, and spreading false news and statements. Her detention was renewed without her appearing before the prosecutor.  

Shimaa Samy was arrested on 20 May and was forcibly disappeared for 10 days before reappearing before the prosecution on 30 May.

On 20 July, the supreme state security prosecution renewed the pre-trial detention of human rights lawyer Mohsen Bahnasi for 15 days in state security case 558/2020 on charges of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news and statements and misusing social media. His detention was renewed without him appearing before the prosecutor.

Mohsen Bahnasi was arrested on 27 March, reportedly in connection with a social media post in which he called for the release of detainees in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

On 19 July, Cairo Criminal court renewed the pre-trial detention of human rights lawyer Amr Imam and journalists Esraa Abdel Fattah, Solafa Magdy and Hossam al-Sayyad for 45 days in state security case 488/2019. They face charges of engaging with a terrorist group to help achieve its goals, publishing false news and statements, and misusing social media.

Esraa Abdel Fattah, a journalist and political activist, was arrested on 12 October 2019. Amr Imam is a human rights lawyer with the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) and was arrested on 16 October. Solafa Magdy and Hossam al-Sayyad, a married couple who are both journalists, were arrested on 26 November.