Press Release | The arrest of human rights lawyer Mohammed Ramadan because of a yellow jacket

The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) condemns the arrest of human rights lawyer Mohammed Ramadan Abdel Basset, on Monday, December 10th. He was arrested in the Sidi Bishr area in Alexandria at 6 pm on Monday, and there was no contact with until the following day.

Next day, he appeared in the Montazah prosecution, and he was interrogated in case No. 16576 of 2018, Montazah-I Administrative.

Ramadan confirmed that he had been arrested by plain-clothed security men, as they took him in a private car to the National Security headquarters, where he was interrogated before being deported to the Montazah prosecution.

Ramadan faces charges of joining a “terrorist” group and promoting its agenda by publishing and spreading false news.

On Tuesday December 11th, the Montazah Prosecution decided to hold him for 15 days pending investigation.

Montazah prosecution issued a permission to arrest Ramadan on December 9th on the basis of a report prepared by an officer of national security, in which he concluded that Ramadan was in contact with the April 6th groups and the Revolutionary Socialists – according to the report – to incite against state institutions and carry out acts of violence similar to those in France.

This came after Ramadan had posted a picture of him on Facebook wearing a yellow vest, similar to those worn by demonstrators in France.

The confiscated evidences in that case were some of those yellow vests, revolutionary posters and a mobile phone.

Ramadan was beaten and assaulted at the National Security headquarters, before being deported to Montazah prosecution, where he was held in a small room with 6 blindfolded individuals. He was also stripped of his clothes by two persons for inspection – as Ramadan confirmed in the prosecution’s interrogation.

What is happening to lawyer Mohammed Ramadan, is a violation of his rights, and a fabrication of a case without any legal justification.

It has become clear that the expression of opinion in pictures or writing, even sarcasm, is an enough reason to fabricate a serious case and lock whomever targeted.

ECRF demands the immediate release of Mohammed Ramadan, dropping all charges against him, and the release of all opinion-prisoners.