Case History: Sanaa Seif

Between April and May 2016, scores of arbitrary arrests, abusive detentions, unlawful house raids, enforced disappearances, violence and unfair trials targeting civil society and human rights defenders have taken place in Egypt. With over 300 arrests in Cairo, Alexandria and other governorates, repression and human rights violations committed by the authorities have reached an unprecedented level. They were triggered by a recent call made by several civil society actors to protest on 25 April 2016 against human rights abuses and crimes committed by the security forces, the ruling regime's policies and the recent government decision to cede the sovereignty of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. As a result, on 14 May 2016, Egyptian courts sentenced, in a single day, 152 pro-democracy activists to up to five years imprisonment.

Read also: Escalating judicial harassment against human rights defenders

Human rights defenders, including Negad El Borai, Mohamed Nagui, Sanaa Seif, Malek Adly and Haytham Mohamadeen have been direct targets of the security forces and were accused in separate cases of, inter alia, “insulting a public official, deliberately spreading false information with the purpose of harming public order or public interest, calling for protests to overthrow the regime and  participation in an illegal demonstration”.

On 14 May 2016, Sanaa Seif turned herself in to the authorities to serve a sentence to six months imprisonment that was handed down on 4 May 2016 on charges of insulting a public official. Sanaa Seif is is currently held in Qanatar Women’s Prison in Cairo and is not permitted family visits for one month. In separate proceedings, on 27 April 2016, the human rights defender was summoned to report to the South Cairo prosecution for a hearing over charges of plotting to overthrow the regime and distributing flyers calling for protests.

Front Line Defenders reiterates its deep concern about the Egyptian government's crackdown on  human rights defenders and the criminalisation of civil society, and calls for an immediate end to the persecution of human rights defenders.

On 23 September 2015 human rights defenders Ms Yara Sallam and Ms Sanaa Seif were released following a presidential pardon of 165 prisoners, including minors, the majority of whom had been sentenced as a result of their peaceful participation in demonstrations in 2014.

Yara Sallam is a human rights researcher who works with the NGO Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). She was the winner of the 2013 North African Human Rights Defender Shield and a finalist for the 2015 Front Line Defenders Award.

Sanaa Seif is a 21-year-old student and political activist, who has participated in several protests in the defence of human rights. She is also a member of No to Military Trials for Civilians. Sanaa Saif and her family have faced harassment by the Egyptian authorities. During a protest on 16 December 2011, Sanaa Saif was arbitrarily arrested and briefly detained. In June 2014, her brother Alaa Abd El Fattah, a well-known blogger, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years' imprisonment and was then released on bail a few months later.

Yara Sallam and Sanaa Seif were two of 23 human rights defenders and protesters sentenced by a Cairo Misdemeanour Court on 26 October 2014 to three years' imprisonment, a further three years' police monitoring, a fine of 10,000 Egyptian Pounds (approx. €1,098), and the payment of compensation for the damages caused. This sentence was later reduced on appeal on 28 December 2014 to two years' imprisonment, two years' monitoring and no fine.

The human rights defenders were arrested on 21 June 2014 during a demonstration against the repressive 'Protest Law', which they were accused of breaching by demonstrating without a permit, committing acts of violence, possession of inflammable material and Molotov cocktails, blocking a road, sabotaging public and private property, and belonging to the banned group 'April 6'.

Front Line Defenders welcomes the release of Yara Sallam and Sanaa Seif but expresses its concern for the ongoing harassment, persecution and arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders in Egypt, and the crackdown on freedom of expression.

On 26 October 2014, a new hearing in the trial of seven women human rights defenders, including Ms Sanaa Seif and Ms Yara Sallam, will take place at the Police Institute near Tora. The human rights defenders remain in pre-trial detention since their arrest on 21 June 2014. They are currently being held in Qanater women’s prison.

Yara Sallam is a human rights researcher who currently works with the NGO Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). She is also the winner of the African Shield Human Rights Defenders in 2013. Sanaa Seif is a student who has participated in previous protests in the defence of human rights. Sanaa Seif was detained during mass protests in front of Magles El Wuzara (the Egyptian cabinet of ministers) on 16 December 2011, and was released on the same day. She is the sister of human rights defender Alaa Abd El Fattah. To read more about the case of Yara Sallam and Sanaa Seif, please click here.

The human rights defenders were among 24 persons arrested on 21 June 2014 during a demonstration against the 'Protests Law', and they were initially held in the Second Tagamo Police Station. Court proceedings against them started on 29 June 2014 and were immediately postponed to 13 September. In a hearing on 13 September 2014, Heliopolis Misdemeanour Court rejected the defence lawyer's request to release both human rights defenders on bail. The trial continued on 11 and 16 October, when the court heard final statements from the defence lawyers.

Front Line Defenders remains concerned at the unjustified and long pre-trial detention of Yara Sallam, Sanaa Seif, and other human rights defenders in connection to the 'Protests Law'. It is believed that these detentions are related solely to the human rights defender's peaceful and legitimate activities, particularly to protect the rights to freedom of assembly and expression.

On 23 June 2014, the Public Prosecutor ordered that the detention of human rights defenders Ms Yara Sallam and Ms Sanaa Seif be extended by four days. The day before, at 1pm, the human rights defenders were brought before the Public Prosecutor and accused of breaching the 'Protests Law' by demonstrating without a permit, committing acts of violence, possession of inflammable material and Molotov cocktails, blocking a road, sabotaging public and private property, and belonging to the banned group 'April 6'. The human rights defenders were among 24 persons arrested on 21 June 2014 during a demonstration against the 'Protests Law', and they are to be held in the Second Tagamo Police Station.

Yara Sallam is a human rights researcher who currently works with the NGO Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). She is also the winner of the African Shield Human Rights Defenders in 2013. Sanaa Seif is a student who has participated in previous protests in the defence of human rights. The human rights defender was arbitrarily detained during Magles El Wuzara events on 16 December 2011, and was released on the same day. Sanaa Seif is also the sister of human rights defender Mr Alaa Abd El Fattah, who was sentenced in absentia on 11 June 2014 to 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of LE100,000 (€10,300 approximately) on charges including attacking a police officer and protesting illegally.

Twenty-three of the individuals arrested at the protest have had their detention extended by four days and one was released on bail. A decision on whether to charge the human rights defenders is expected shortly. The human rights defenders' lawyer, Mr Mohamed Khedr, has highlighted inconsistencies in the testimonies of witnesses for the prosecution, as well as within the police's own statements. In particular, the police secretary accused the protesters of damaging a police vehicle at 9:30pm on 21 June 2014, despite the demonstrators having been arrested at 5:30pm that day outside a kiosk when they were not present at the protest, and a police report having been filed against them at 9:30pm. The police found no inflammable objects within the possession of the demonstrators.

During the interrogations, the human rights defenders were questioned by members of the national security agency. They were asked whether they belonged to political groups and whether they had previously participated in demonstrations. Reportedly, although Yara Sallam's cousin was released after interrogation, the human rights defender was kept in detention after declaring that she works at EIPR.

The human rights defenders are two of several Egyptian human rights defenders, such as Maheinour Al Masry, who have been targeted through the 'Protests Law' (Law no 107 of 2013 on the Right to Public Meetings, Processions and Peaceful Demonstrations). The law was approved on 24 November 2013 by interim Egyptian President Adly Mansour and has been condemned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Maina Kiai.

Front Line Defenders is concerned at the accusation brought against human rights defenders Yara Sallam and Sanaa Seif, and at their extended detention, as a result of their legitimate and peaceful human rights activities.