Defense lawyers withdraw from Adly and Banna’s detention hearing in protest

Shubra Prosecution renewed the detention of lawyers Malek Adly and Sayed al-Banna for 15 days on Wednesday in the absence of the defendants’ lawyers.

Shortly before the renewal was issued, Adly and Banna’s lawyers withdrew from the detention hearing to protest the prosecution’s refusal to allow lawyers and defendants to participate in the proceedings.

Lawyer Mahmoud Belal, who attended the hearing, told Mada Masr that the prosecution interrupted lawyer Khaled Ali as he was presenting his demands and refused to listen to other lawyers. Following the prosecution's decision to order guards to escort the defendants out of the hearing, the lawyers withdrew from the session.

The prosecutor initially informed lawyers that he would interrogate Adly after the renewal session. However, security forces transported him back to Tora Prison immediately after the lawyers withdrew from the session. The prosecution has postponed Adly’s interrogation indefinitely.

Adly and Banna face a number of charges, including assaulting an arresting officer, plotting to overthrow the government and alter the Egyptian Constitution, hindering the official duties of government institutions, promoting publications that disrupt national unity, disseminating false news and inciting the anti-government protests that took place on April 25.

Journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud al-Sakka are defendants in the same case. The two were arrested on May 1 when police forces stormed the Journalists Syndicate. Their detention was renewed for another 15 days on Saturday.

Defense lawyers have been unable to confirm the total number of defendants in the case, as the prosecution has not provided access to case documents. Belal has said that the prosecution has unofficially informed the lawyers that nine defendants are party to the case. However, only six people have appeared before the court in proceedings related to the case, including four defendants – Adly and Banna among them – whose detention was renewed on Wednesday. Lawyers were unable to confirm the identity of the other two defendants in today’s session.

During the session, Adly recounted the abuse he has faced since his arrest on May 6, according to Belal.  On his first day in prison, guards entered his cell where they then restrained him, forced him to ingest a pill and inserted a needle into his arm. Adly stated he lost consciousness for approximately two hours following the procedure. He stated that he is unsure whether the needle was used to take a blood sample or administer drugs. Adly also stated that he was held in solitary confinement in a cell without proper ventilation for 13 days and was given contaminated water and food unfit for consumption .

Belal states that Adly has suffered several fainting spells during his detention caused by chronic high blood pressure that has been worsened under prison conditions. The prison has not allowed Adly access to his medication to moderate the condition.

Adly’s wife Asmaa Ali and his lawyers have not been allowed to visit him or deliver medication and clothes. On her social media page, Ali stated that Adly has been vomiting frequently and has suffered respiratory problems.

In a post on Tuesday, Ali stated that prison authorities denied her attempt to visit Tora Prison. She was told that “sovereign bodies” had banned Adly's visitation rights until his renewal session.

Following Wednesday’s session, lawyers submitted requests to the general prosecutor to be informed of the date of Adly’s interrogation and to prompt an investigation into the violations he has faced.

In a related case, the South Giza Emergency Prosecution has renewed the detention of activists Zizo Abdo, Haitham Mohamadein and Hamdy Keshta for 15 days. The three activists have been charged with belonging to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, conspiring to overthrow the regime and calling for protests.