UPDATED: Appeal to freeze Aboutrika’s assets nulled

CAIRO – 28 April 2018: The Supreme Administrative Court issued its verdict on Saturday to reject an appeal filed by the State Lawsuits Authority challenging the Administrative Court’s decision to uphold the nullification of the assets freeze of former Al-Ahly footballer Mohamed Aboutrika.

Mohamed Othman, Aboutrika’s lawyer, said that the State Lawsuits Authority had asked the Supreme Administrative Court to adjourn its ruling in the appeal until it provided the documents that support its position in the case.

An Egyptian criminal court had added the retired footballer to the country’s terrorist list in January 2017 for alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood – which the state designated a terrorist organization in late 2013 – in respect of state security case No. 653 of 2014.

According to Aboutrika’s appeal, which was filed in July 2017, the criminal court’s decision was issued without prior investigations with the retired player, in violation of his constitutional right to a fair trial.

A government committee tasked with counting the Muslim Brotherhood's assets ordered freezing the assets of the former player in 2015 over an accusation of funding the banned Brotherhood, but the freeze was overturned by the Administrative Court in June 2016.