Sarcastic blogger Islam Refae “Khorm” released on bail

CAIRO - 17 August 2018: Upholding its former verdict, Cairo Criminal Court ordered Thursday the release of blogger Islam Refae known as “Khorm,” on LE 2,000 ($111.7) pending investigation in the case known as “Mekameleen 2.”

The defendants in the case face accusations of joining an outlawed group (the Muslim Brotherhood group) and disseminating false news that harms national security. According to media reports, there are 63 defendants in the case.

Refae is a Twitter blogger who has about 74,000 followers. He is known for posting sarcastic tweets using nasty slang terms and ethically unacceptable photos for Arab culture. Khorm’s arrest last November stirred anger from his followers.

Others defendants in this case include Mohamed Al-Qasas, deputy chairman of Strong Egypt Party founded in 2012.The party is headed by Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh who is currently imprisoned and placed on the terror list by the Egyptian government.

On Monday, the Cairo criminal court ordered the sentence of Qasas for 45 days. According to judicial sources, the State Security Prosecution decided to arrest and detain Egyptian activist Ghada Nageeb’s two brothers over the same accusations.

Nageeb is an opposition activist whose writings extremely criticize the Egyptian government. She is also the wife of Hisham Abdullah, an Egyptian actor and TV presenter in the Turkey-based Al-Sharq TV known for supporting former Muslim Brotherhood regime.

The defendants of the case known in media as “Mekameleen 2” were arrested after investigations asserted that the Muslim Brotherhood had established a media wing following the June 30 revolution in 2013 which ousted the MB-affiliated former President Mohamed Morsi.

The media wing consisted of Facebook pages and other media channels, some of them funded by the MB elements, with the aim of disseminating false news about the situation in Egypt, according to the investigation.