Number of detainees in ‘Hope Plan’ cell rises to 13

CAIRO – 30 June 2019: The General Prosecution has decided to detain the first two defendants in the case known in the media as the “Hope Plan” cell to 15 days pending investigations, raising the number of remanded persons in the case to 13, while five others are still at large.

The names of the two female defendants recently detained are: Taqwa Abdel Rady and Lo’ya Sabry.

The defendants face charges of joining a terrorist group unlawfully established, and using social media platforms to spread false information.

On Saturday, the New Cairo Prosecution ordered the detention of Mawada al-Aqabawy, daughter of defendant in “Hope Plan” Cell lawsuit Osama al-Akbawy, for four days pending investigations. Mawada is charged with joining the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and acquisition of incitement documents.

The State Security Prosecution ordered on Wednesday the detention of nine people including political and economic figures who are believed to be behind the so-called Al-Amal (Hope) Plan to 15 days pending investigations.

The defendants include Zeyad al-Eleimy, Hossam Mo'nes, Mostafa Abdel Mo'ez, Osama al-Akbawy, Omar al-Shenety, Hesham Fouad, and Hassan Barbari. Those along with Qassem Abdel Kafi were transferred to Tora Prison.

On Thursday, the State Security Prosecution ordered seizing the defendants’ funds. It also ordered banning them from leaving the country.

Al-Amal Plan, according to a security statement, is a terrorist plot by Muslim Brotherhood leaders to target the state facilities institutions in coincidence with the celebrations of the anniversary of June 30 Uprising, according to a statement issued Tuesday. The arrested figures are believed to be Muslim Brotherhood operatives.

The ministry said in its statement that “the national security sector has managed to uncover a villainous scheme, orchestrated by fugitive Muslim Brotherhood leaders in cooperation with their operatives inside the country who claim to be representatives of civil political powers.”

According to the statement, the scheme worked on uniting the Brotherhood group members, funding them from the revenues of some economic entities as they seek to undermine the state and its institutions on the June 30 Uprising anniversary.

Information received by the National Security Service revealed that the plan is focused on establishing routes for the financial funds sent illegally from abroad by some hostile countries to work on carrying out violent acts across the country to disrupt celebrations of the revolution's anniversary, the statement said.

The statement also noted that the scheme aimed at launching inciting campaigns in the media and on social media and satellite TV channels that are broadcast from outside the country. The statement identified some of the MB leaders who are involved in the plan including Mahmoud Hussein, Ali Bateekh, anchor Moataz Matar, Mohammed Nasser as well as the fugitive leader of El-Ghad Party Ayman Nour.

Acting on such information, security forces, in coordination with the High State Security Prosecution, targeted 19 economic entities which are secretly run by the MB leaders and seized documents, amounts of money and electronic devices that were in their possession, the statement added.