Egypt: 15 days in jail for Masoum Marzouk and 6 others

Egyptian prosecutors decided today jailed prominent opposition activist Masoum Marzouk and six others for 15 days on charges of “inciting demonstrations”, Anadolu Agency reported a legal source has said.

Tariq Al-Awadhi, a member of Marzouk’s defence team, said that the Supreme State Security Prosecution took the decision of detaining the seven defendants for over two weeks while investigations are carried out.

Al-Awadhi said in a press statement that the prosecution had accused them of “engaging a terrorist group in achieving its goals and participating in financing them, and participating in a criminal agreement intended to commit the crime of incitement to demonstrate.”

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Security authorities arrested Marzouq, economic expert Raed Salama, academic Yahya Al-Qazzaz and four prominent opposition members Nermin Hussein, Amr Mohammed, Abdel Fattah Said and Samah Soudi yesterday.

Authorities have made no official comment on the matter.

In early August, Marzouk launched a call for a popular referendum on whether the regime should continue or not, as well as for demonstrations on 31 August, if the regime does not accept people’s demands.