The public prosecutor has referred political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and 24 others to a criminal court on charges of demonstrating outside the Shura Council on 26 November without prior permission, as stipulated by the new protest law.
Abdel Fattah was arrested inside his apartment in al-Omraniya with a warrant issued for him and Ahmed Maher, founder of the 6 April Youth Movement.
He claims that he was the target of police brutality, as he was repeatedly beaten on the head during his arrest.
The new law requires prior approval from the Interior Ministry in order to hold a demonstration. It also justifies the forceful dispersal of protests if the ministry deems them to be violent.
Many rights group and political parties, from liberals to Islamists, have condemned the law, saying the government is squashing freedom of speech. The interim government contends that it is the only way to restore political stability in Egypt.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
