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Egyptian teen detained for wearing protest t-shirt gains freedom after 787 days

Published

8 years ago

March 23, 2016

Egyptian teen detained for wearing protest t-shirt gains freedom after 787 days

20-year-old Egyptian teenager Mahmoud Hussein has been released from jail after spending 787 days behind bars for protesting while wearing a T-shirt condemning torture.

Hussein who was 18 at the time of his arrest was picked up by security operatives while on his way home from a peaceful protest.

After more than two years in prison, an order that he be released on bail was made by an Egyptian court, and it was confirmed by his brother Tito on Twitter on Tuesday.

Read also: Egypt sacks minister for comments on Prophet Mohammed

“My brother has been released on bail,” Tito Tarek tweeted, adding the bail was set at 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($113).

The US-based Robert F Kennedy Human Rights group, which had acted on behalf of Hussein, also confirmed the release order, describing the moment as a “huge victory”.

“[But] he is not yet physically free,” Wade H McMullen Jr, managing attorney at the rights group, told Al Jazeera.

“The prosecution did not show up to [Tuesday’s] hearing. So we will have to wait to see if the prosecution decides to appeal his release.”

He added there were serious concerns about the state of Hussein’s health.

“While being held at the Tora Investigations Prison, Mahmoud lost a significant amount of weight and his health has seriously deteriorated,” he said, before adding that doctors have recommended that Hussein, now 20, receives urgent medical care.

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