Activist Sanaa Seif released, accused of insulting official during investigation

Activist Sanaa Seif was released on Wednesday after being questioned in relation to charges of instigating protests on April 25. However, a new investigation was also launched against Seif, who was accused of insulting a public official during the course of investigations into the protest charges.

“Sanaa refused to deal with the investigation at the office of the South Cairo District Prosecutor pertaining to the case of the arrest of Yasser al-Qott, a member of the Strong Egypt Party, on charges of instigating protests,” Sanaa's sister, Mona Seif, posted on her Facebook page.

According to Mona Seif, during the first investigation of the day, Sanaa told the authorities, “Given that the judicial system has lost its sovereignty, in terms of issuing its own decisions, as it has lost its impartiality, as well as its commitment to the enforcement of justice; and given that executive authorities are the ones running this state – I see that this investigation is merely a guise, and this is why I refuse to deal with it.”

Mona Seif added that Sanaa had explained, “In my own personal experience, I was unjustly imprisoned for a duration of one year and three months, only to be released in a pardon issued by the executive authorities.”

On her Twitter account, Mona Seif explained that Sanaa was released on Wednesday on LE300 bail, in light of the second investigation into charges of insulting a public official. Sanaa Seif’s next hearing will be on May 3.

Sanaa Seif and Yasser al-Qott were among 23 political activists who were arrested during a peaceful protest march on June 21, 2014, by the Ettehadiya Presidential Palace, where they were demanding the release of political detainees, and the repeal of the 2013 protest law. Both activists were sentenced to two years imprisonment and two years probation, and spent 15 months in prison before being released by a presidential pardon in September 2015.

Monday’s protests against the transfer sovereign control of two islands off the coast of Sinai to Saudi Arabia had been preceded by days of mass arrests and roundups targeting political activists.

According to the webpage of the Freedom for the Brave campaign, 382 people were arrested between the protests on April 15 (known as Friday of the Land protests) and those that took place on April 25, which coincided with Sinai Liberation Day.