An Egyptian protester detained on Monday and charged with illegal protesting and insulting Egypt’s president was released by prosecutors on Monday on LE1000 bail, the Reuters affiliated website Aswat Masriya reported.
The activist, Mohamed Nassar, was arrested from Talaat Harb Square in downtown Cairo after carrying a banner accusing President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi of lying about the price hikes imposed on several Egyptian commodities, including fuel, last week.
Nassar has denied all the charges, which also include illegal assembly, Aswat Masriya said.
A protest law passed in November puts stringent conditions on protests and gives police unchecked power to deny permission to any demonstration, defined as a gathering of 10 persons.
Nassar, however, was protesting alone, which he used to plead innocent, Aswat Masriya said.
Thousands have been arrested on charges of illegal protesting under the law, according to several human rights NGOs.
Source : Ahram online
