Ramadan Without Bars .. Mohamed Oxygen, the “Presenter of the Poor,” Marks Six Years Awaiting Freedom
The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights is using the holy month of Ramadan, a time symbolizing justice and forgiveness, to renew its ongoing calls for the immediate release of detainees held in cases related to freedom of expression, whether they are in pretrial detention or serving sentences.
As part of this effort, the center has launched the “Ramadan Without Bars” campaign, featuring a series of articles highlighting individuals imprisoned for expressing their views. The campaign aims to advocate for their release, along with that of all others held on similar charges, recognizing their fundamental right to freedom.
In the early hours of April 6, 2018, blogger and journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Radwan, known as “Mohamed Oxygen,” was preparing for another day of documenting and sharing the truth on his blog, Oxygen Egypt, when security forces raided his home in Cairo’s Al-Basateen district. He was arrested and taken to an undisclosed location, where he remained forcibly disappeared for 11 days. On April 17, 2018, he reappeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, facing charges of spreading false news and joining a terrorist group under Case No. 621 of 2018.
A graduate of the Workers’ University, Oxygen gathered and analyzed media content, providing commentary through his blog and YouTube channel, Oxygen Egypt, whose slogan was: “We bring you the truth and strive to establish the pure facts, as the duty of words demands.”
After spending over a year in pretrial detention, the Criminal Court ordered his release on July 22, 2019, under precautionary measures, requiring him to report to a police station twice a week. However, on September 21, 2019, while complying with this order, he was rearrested. On October 8, 2019, he reappeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, facing the same charges and was added to Case No. 1356 of 2019, marking the beginning of another 14-month period of pretrial detention.
On November 3, 2020, the Criminal Court once again replaced his detention with precautionary measures. However, instead of being released, he was re-accused in Case No. 855 of 2020 with the same charges. This time, he was prosecuted alongside activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and human rights lawyer Mohamed El-Baqer, accused of spreading false news and statements that could harm national security.
His ordeal continued as he was repeatedly implicated in new cases after each release order. By August 2021, the psychological toll of his prolonged detention led him to attempt suicide inside his cell at Tora Maximum Security Prison, but he was rescued at the last moment.
In February 2022, his mother passed away. Despite widespread calls for authorities to allow him to attend her funeral, he was denied the chance to bid her a final farewell—a reflection of the deep despair he had reached.
As he nears six years behind bars, Oxygen’s late mother’s 2018 video plea for her son’s release remains unfulfilled. She had longed to see him and his fellow prisoners—those who love their country and are loved by the poor—set free. Since September 2019, relentless calls have been made for his release, affirming that he deserves his long-denied freedom.
On this occasion, demands are once again being raised for the immediate release of Mohamed Oxygen and all individuals imprisoned for supporting Palestine or for exercising their right to expression, so they may reunite with their families and reclaim their natural right to freedom—ensuring that their Ramadan is not spent behind bars.
