Egypt releases four protesters from April 6 movement on bail

Published February 18th, 2016 - 04:00 GMT
Since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2013, hundreds of activists have been arrested for belonging to banned groups or for links to the Muslim Brotherhood. (AFP/File)
Since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2013, hundreds of activists have been arrested for belonging to banned groups or for links to the Muslim Brotherhood. (AFP/File)

The Dokki Prosecution ordered the release of four members of the banned April 6 youth movement on Thursday.

According to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE), Mohamed Nabeel, Ayman Abd el-Megeed, Mahmoud Hesham and Sherif el-Rubi were released on a bail of EGP 2,000 ($255).  

The four members were detained on Dec. 28 on charges of belonging to a banned group, participating in a protest without a permit, cutting off public roads, and possession of fireworks.

Security forces issued the order of arrest upon the defendants' participation in a march that was organised on Dec 21.

In a separate incident, four other members of the April 6 movement were arrested on the anniversary of the Mohamed Mahmoud protests in November, where they were accused of similar charges. They have been given a two-year prison sentence, which they later appealed. However, the court upheld the prison sentences late January.

The Cairo Court of Urgent Matters banned the April 6 movement in April 2014, ordering the confiscation of its headquarters.

The movement's co-founders, Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel, are currently serving a three-year prison sentence. They were sentenced in December 2013 for violating the protest law.

Founded in 2008, April 6 is seen as one of the movements which sparked a popular uprising in 2011 which led to the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarak.

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