Update: ‘7 am’ lawyer released from custody

The lawyer leading the defense team for members of the 7 am movement was ordered released from detention by the Alexandria prosecution on Monday evening, reported the state-owned Middle East News Agency (MENA).

The lawyer, Ahmed al-Hamrawy, represents the 21 women who received multi-year prison sentences last week for attempting to form a human chain on the Alexandria Corniche. 7 am is a pro-Muslim Brotherhood movement.

He was arrested earlier on Monday at the same time that National Security forces arrested 14 Muslim Brotherhood members.

Hamrawy was taken by security forces from his home to an undisclosed location, the 7 am movement's Facebook page said. The movement alleged that Hamrawy was arrested because a plan to appeal the sentences was leaked by the court.

In its Facebook statement, the movement called the arrest "criminal behavior by a failed repressive regime that will soon fall."

The 7 am movement vowed to escalate protests against what it called a "terrorist regime."

An Interior Ministry official had earlier denied reports of the arrest, and added that there was no warrant issued for his arrest and there are no charges against him, the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported.

On November 27, an Alexandria misdemeanors court sentenced 21 women and girls from the 7 am movement to prison sentences ranging from 11 to 15 years for "using violence, attacking security forces and destroying public property." The sentences were condemned by several political and rights groups, and triggered a series of solidarity protests.