The President president also has broad authority to appoint judges of Emergency State Security Courts and control their composition. Those recently referred to emergency courts include Ezzat Ghoneim, executive director of the ECRF, who was arrested and forcibly disappeared in March 2018. Khaled Diaa, attorney general for the Supreme State Security Prosecution, referred him along with 30 other defendants in that case to an Emergency State Security Criminal Court on August 23. Diaa also referred Abd al-Moniem Abu al-Fotouh, former presidential candidate and head of the Strong Egypt party, to the emergency courts for trial on August 25. Ziad al-Elaimy, a former member of parliament, was referred to the emergency courts on July 25.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 20, 2021 15:21 UTC