“Ramadan Means Freedom” | Supreme State Security Prosecution Orders the Release of Students Mohab Rabie and Basel Suleiman Pending Completion of Release
On 23 February 2025, the Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered the release of students Mohab Rabie Ibrahim and Basel Suleiman Abdelbadee, who had been held in pretrial detention in connection with Case No. 655 of 2024 (Supreme State Security Prosecution Registry) and Case No. 744 of 2023 (Supreme State Security Prosecution Registry), respectively. The necessary administrative and custodial procedures are currently being completed in preparation for their discharge and return to their respective homes.
Mohab Rabie Ibrahim was arrested in February 2024 in connection with social media posts and online activity, according to statements by his family. In the aforementioned case, he faced charges of disseminating false news and joining a terrorist group. Since the date of his arrest, he had remained in pretrial detention, with detention renewal hearings conducted before the Terrorism Circuit of the Criminal Court. He was held at Tenth of Ramadan Prison (6) until the issuance of the release order.
Notwithstanding the conditions of his detention, Mohab continued his studies from within the place of detention, preparing for the final year examinations of the General Secondary Education Certificate. He subsequently sat for the official examinations and successfully passed them.
It is noteworthy that on 30 July 2025, the Supreme State Security Prosecution had ordered the release of 37 defendants, including six individuals detained in connection with the same case.
Basel Suleiman Abdelbadee was arrested in May 2023 as part of a group of supporters of Al Ahly Sporting Club, in connection with calls to boycott Cairo International Stadium and the “Tazkarti” ticketing platform. He remained in pretrial detention for more than two and a half years, thereby exceeding the statutory maximum period of pretrial detention prescribed under the Egyptian Code of Criminal Procedure, prior to the issuance of the decision ordering his release.
Basel’s family had submitted legal and humanitarian appeals requesting his release, in line with dozens of other defendants who had already been released in the same case, seeking to end the prolonged hardship endured by the family and to enable his return to his home and academic pursuits.
The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) has marked the holy month of Ramadan—embodying the values of justice and tolerance—by renewing its ongoing calls for the immediate release of individuals detained in cases related to freedom of opinion and expression, whether held in pretrial detention or serving custodial sentences.
In this context, the Center continues its “Ramadan Without Bars” campaign, which comprises a series of articles highlighting the cases of individuals detained in opinion-related cases, with the objective of advocating for their release, as well as the release of all others similarly detained.
On this occasion, renewed calls are made for the release of all persons detained in cases concerning freedom of opinion and expression, so that they may return to their families and regain their liberty, as a fundamental right, and so that their Ramadan is no longer spent behind bars.
