Arbitrarily detained prominent activist and writer Ahmed Douma will stand trial before the New Cairo Misdemeanour Court on 29 April 2026 following investigations by the Supreme State Security Prosecution on charges of spreading “false news”. These charges stem from his article, published on 25 March 2026 by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, about the impact of unjust imprisonment on state stability, as well as from a social media post published on 29 March 2026 about detention conditions in Egypt. Since his release in August 2023 after over a decade in arbitrary detention to punish him for his activism and role in the 25 January Revolution of 2011, prosecution authorities have opened seven investigations against him, to punish him for posting critical content online. If convicted, he faces another five years in prison. He must be immediately and unconditionally released as he is arbitrarily detained solely for exercising his rights to freedom of expression.
