Cairo: 11 November, 2018

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) said that the Freedom of Expression for Workers and Social Movements program, has obtained, along with the defense team of trade union nurse “Sayeda Sayed Fayed”, her acquittal yesterday of the charge of publishing false news in case No. 29377 of 2018 Helwan Misdemeanors. The program also looks forward to the release of trade union nurse “Wagdy Al-Sayed Ali” as well.

The court presiding over the case in Helwan had yesterday acquitted the trade unionist nurse “Sayeda Fayed” from the charge of publishing false news in case No. 29377 of 2018 Helwan Misdemeanors, against the background of posting some topics on her personal Facebook page.

The Freedom of Expression for Workers and Social Movements program has worked on calling upon and organizing a large defense team of lawyers from different parties, unions and social movements who have worked together to defend the right of Sayeda Fayed and her fellow trade unionists to express their opinion and their right to form their own independent union.

The incidents of this case date back to the evening of October 22, when security forces raided the house of activist Sayeda Fayed, and arrested her after searching her house and confiscating her mobile phone and computer, against the backdrop of State Security investigations based on a number of posts on her social networking page, in shich she expressed her opinion about the working conditions of those working in the nursing sector and defending the right of male and female nurses in having an independent union that defends their interests through peaceful means. Sayeda appeared before the prosecution with report No. 29377 of 2018 Helwan Misdemeanors, the prosecution decided on November 4 to refer her to trial on the charge of “spreading false news”.

The Freedom of Expression for Workers and Social Movements program said: “The case of unionist Sayeda Fayed is an opinion case, that was entirely based on the investigations of a state security officer. These investigations were concerned about a number of opinion topics posted on her Facebook page, in which she was expressing her opinion about the conditions of nursing staff and the right of nurses to have an Independent syndicate that defends their interests peacefully. “

“We worked on inviting and organizing a defense team that worked together to defend the right of Sayeda Fayed and her fellow unionists to form their independent union and to express their opinion using different means of expression. Part of this team is getting ready to go to Suez on Tuesday to attend the detention renewal hearing of nurse unionist Wagdy Al-Sayed Ali, and we hope that he will return to his home as well. ” The program added.

It is worth mentioning that Sayeda Fayed and a number of nurses are currently working on forming an independent union that defends the rights of nursing workers, after the executive authority took control of the General Union of Egyptian Nursing, thus abandoning its role in the defense of nurses and closing the horizon of democratic change in the union.

The Freedom of Expression for Workers and Social Movements program demands the Public Prosecution not to rely entirely on investigations by national security to detain and prosecute trade unionists and opinion-makers. In many cases such investigations lack the adequate seriousness, not to mention the decisions of the Court of Cassation ruling the invalidity of relying only on investigations during a trial.

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