20 defendants remain detained despite being acquitted by Egypt court

Twenty-three Egyptians are still in prison more than 19 days after the a Cairo criminal court acquitted them in the case known in the media as “Helwan Brigades,” Ikhwan Online news website reported.

On 28 June the court sentenced ten defendants to death, 56 defendants to life in prison and handed prison terms to ten others. It acquitted 43 in the same case.

Twenty-three of the 43 acquitted defendants were set to be released because there are no other sentences issued against them that would have required their continued detention.

The defendants were accused of forming brigades in the province of Helwan to carry out militant operations and acts of vandalism.

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