Lawyers organize sit-in for detained activist Mahienour al-Massry

Fifteen lawyers based in Cairo and Alexandria announced a sit-in on Saturday at a Lawyers Syndicate building in Alexandria's Raml Station neighbourhood, in solidarity with lawyer and political activist Mahienour al-Massry, who's being detained on charges related to protesting in front of the Raml police station in 2013.

The court had initially sentenced Massry to two years in prison and a LE5,000 fine. After paying the fine, Massry was released, but the Court of Appeals issued a decision on May 11 to return her, along with journalist and political activist Youssef Shaaban, to prison pending the release of its final verdict.

The Court of Appeals is expected to issue its verdict on Sunday, May 31. 

Lawyer Amr Imam, who's participating in the sit-in, told Mada Masr that their only demand is the release of Massry. “We will not go back on this demand, even if she’s sentenced to serve prison time. In this case, we will escalate our response,” he said.

Lawyer Yasmine Hossam al-Din added that the “purpose of today's sit-in is to send a message that oppression is now affecting lawyers and not just political activists.”

Hossam al-Din affirmed that Massry was arrested while performing her duty as a defence attorney on behalf of other lawyers and members of the Dostour party that had been physically assaulted by the police from Raml Station.

“Our protest today is directed against the government, which cracks down on opposition and against the Lawyers Syndicate, and which did not interfere to defend Mahienour, who had been arrested while performing her duty as a lawyer," she added.

Hossam al-Din pointed out that a member of the Alexandria branch of the Lawyers Syndicate tried to negotiate with the lawyers taking part in the sit-in to try to end it, but they refused.

The case dates back to March 2013, when Massry and nine others staged a sit-in at the Raml Police Station to protest against reports that lawyers had been assaulted by police forces as they attended the interrogation of three activists held at the station.

Muslim Brotherhood members had arrested the three activists and handed them over to the police, accusing them of attempting to burn the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Alexandria.

Massry and her fellow demonstrators were released the following day, and the case was referred to court in March 2014. The prosecution accused them of assaulting police officers, and storming and damaging the police station.

Massry is the beneficiary of a Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Prize in 2014 for her efforts as a lawyer and human rights defender. She was awarded the prize while serving a prison sentence for protesting in solidarity with victim of police brutality Khaled Said.