Within the framework of the Egyptian Front for Human Rights’ follow up on the performance of the Terrorism Circuits during the hearings for reviewing the renewal of detention orders for defendants before the counselling chamber, the Egyptian Front continues monitoring the release decisions, counting the number of sessions and cases pending investigation, in addition to the number of the defendants during the first half of 2021. The Egyptian Front had issued a report “They punish you before convicting you” earlier in 2020 as it reviewed the formation of these circuits and their dealings with the defense in that year.
“Compared to the last half of 2020 in which the Egyptian Front has monitored decisions issued by 6 Terrorism Circuits which were decreased to become nearly one circuit in the first half of 2021. With exception to one session held by counsellor Mohamed Saeed El-Sherbiny, head of the Fifth Circuit, and one session held by counsellor Mohamed Sherine Fahmy, head of the Fifth Circuit, the work of Terrorism Circuits in reviewing the renewals of pretrial detention was limited to the Third Circuit of the Criminal Terrorism Court, headed by counsellor Mohamed Kamel Abdel Sattar, who has started his work as a head of the Circuit in late November of the last year (2020). The Circuit has specialized in considering the renewals of pretrial detention in cases under investigation by the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP). Then, it has become almost the only Circuit that considers the renewals of pre-trial detention in the first half of 2021.”