Today, February 2, the “Third Felonies circuit,” held in the Torah Appeals Office’s counseling room, considered the renewal of the detention order of Patrick George- the researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. Patrick has been held in pretrial detention since February 2020 for the fourth time in a row and ordered the renewal of his arrest for 45 additional days. 

The mentioned court considered the order to renew Patrick's detention on November 21, December 6, 2020, and January 17, 2021. Today, it is the only circuit concerned with reviving the detention order for defendants in state security cases since November 2020.

Patrick's lawyers have stated that he had applied to the Public Prosecution Office for a full year of imprisonment to disclose the reasons for the continuation of this period, which is not being considered.

Today, Patrick's lawyers have maintained the need for the prosecution to disclose the justifications for its request to continue Patrick's imprisonment, in accordance with ArticleNo.136 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for the accused's defense to refute and refute it, and for the court's balance between the prosecution's statements and the defendant's defense. In the face of the lawyers ’request, the Public Prosecutor reiterated his general phrase, which says,“ The justifications for remand are available. ”. 

When layers asked to defend what these justifications are! The judge proposed that the lawyers must submit an application to find out the justifications for the continued imprisonment. When Patrick left the counseling room, he expressed his frustration against the court's behavior towards his case,  compared to the release issued for others in the same session. 

Patrick asked his lawyers wonder “Is the reason for all that ..what the judge told me last session ... The attributed documents spotted that I participated in the 25th January Revolution ?!”.

Patrick was arrested last February 7, a year in pre-trial detention, which is not justified. Patrick George suspended from Cairo airport on February 7, 2020, while on his way to a master's degree at the University of Bologna, Italy, for a short vacation with his family and friends. 

He was transferred to one of the headquarters of the National Security Sector in Cairo, then Al-Mansoura, blindfolded. He was asked about his working field and his activity. 

He was threatened and tortured by beating and electrocuting before appearing the next day in front of Al-Mansoura Prosecution. He has been held in pretrial detention since February 8, based on a false’s facts report, date, and place of his arrest, and he is still in this vicious circle of renewed imprisonment up till now.

 In the face of this incomprehensible intransigence, The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights has no more calls than repeating its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Patrick as a result of the absence of justifications for pre-trial detention and the dropping of all charges against him. 

The EIPR remains deeply concerned by restrictions on human rights defenders. We also call on all those concerned about improving Egyptians’ civil rights and freedoms to intensify their publicity. To put an end to Patrick and his family’s suffering, and similar to thousands of other prisoners in the same circumstances.