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Egyptian Activist Alaa Abdel Fattah Is Released on Bail Egyptian Activist Alaa Abd El Fattah Is Released on Bail
(about 4 hours later)
CAIRO — An Egyptian court on Monday released the left-leaning activist Alaa Abdel Fattah from prison on bail in a rare example of leniency in the thousands of cases of political dissenters arrested since the military takeover last year. CAIRO — An Egyptian court on Monday released the left-leaning activist Alaa Abd El Fattah from prison on bail in a rare example of leniency in the thousands of cases of political dissenters arrested since the military takeover last year.
Mr. Abdel Fattah, a pioneering Egyptian blogger from a prominent family of writers and activists, has been jailed under four different rulers: former President Hosni Mubarak; the military council that removed Mr. Mubarak from power; the ousted president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood; and the current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former general who led the takeover. Mr. Abd El Fattah, a pioneering Egyptian blogger from a prominent family of writers and activists, has been jailed under four different rulers: former President Hosni Mubarak; the military council that removed Mr. Mubarak from power; the ousted president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood; and the current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former general who led the takeover.
In this case, Mr. Abdel Fattah was jailed for violating a new law severely restricting public demonstrations. He was initially sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. On Monday, however, the judge hearing a retrial of that case surprised the courtroom by abruptly recusing himself, citing unspecified potential “embarrassment,” and releasing Mr. Abdel-Fattah on $700 bail. Two other defendants were also released on bail. In this case, Mr. Abd El Fattah was jailed for violating a new law severely restricting public demonstrations. He was initially sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. On Monday, however, the judge hearing a retrial of that case surprised the courtroom by abruptly recusing himself, citing unspecified potential “embarrassment,” and releasing Mr. Abd El Fattah on $700 bail. Two other defendants were also released on bail.
A lawyer involved in the case suggested that the judge, Mohammad Ali Al Feqi, may have been reacting to an uproar after the last session of the trial when prosecutors were briefly allowed to show the courtroom a confiscated home movie of Mr. Abdel Fattah’s wife dancing — an invasion of privacy irrelevant to the case.A lawyer involved in the case suggested that the judge, Mohammad Ali Al Feqi, may have been reacting to an uproar after the last session of the trial when prosecutors were briefly allowed to show the courtroom a confiscated home movie of Mr. Abdel Fattah’s wife dancing — an invasion of privacy irrelevant to the case.
Mr. Abdel Fattah’s father, Ahmed Seif, a respected human rights lawyer, died last month while his son was in prison. Mr. Abdel Fattah’s sister, Sanaa Seif, who was arrested in June for an unauthorized protest, is in jail awaiting trial. Both Mr. Abdel Fattah and Ms. Seif have been on hunger strikes for nearly a month, since the authorities refused to allow them to visit their dying father. Mr. Abdel Fattah’s father, Ahmed Seif, a respected human rights lawyer, died last month while his son was in prison. Mr. Abdel Fattah’s sister, Sanaa Seif, who was arrested in June for an unauthorized protest, is in jail awaiting trial. Both Mr. Abd El Fattah and Ms. Seif have been on hunger strikes for nearly a month, since the authorities refused to allow them to visit their dying father.