The South Giza Court renewed on Monday the detention of political activists Zizo Abdo, Haitham Mohamedain, and Hamdy Qeshta for an additional 15 days pending investigations, according to lawyer Mokhtar Mounier. The three activists were arrested on accusations of unlicensed protesting, spreading false news, and belonging to an outlawed group. Abdo was arrested on 5 May with lawyer Malek Adly. Qeshta was arrested from a protest against the transfer of the sovereignty of Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia in the Boluq Al-Dakror district on 25 April, and leftist lawyer Mohamedain was arrested on 21 April during nationwide security raids that took place prior to the 25 April demonstration. The prisoners are suffering under poor conditions in prison due to being kept in unhygienic cells and prevented from receiving proper medical treatment. They are also not provided clean food and water or warm clothes and blankets in winter. The island protests were followed by mass arrests of demonstrators and activists as well as arbitrary arrests of bystanders on the streets and in coffee shops. Some people were arrested from their homes in a wide-spread security sweep in advance of the protests.
