Three Years of Arbitrary Pretrial Detention for Lawyer Ahmed Nazeer Al-Haloo
🟥 Three years of arbitrary pretrial detention for lawyer Ahmed Nazih El-Halou
The Al-Shehab Human Rights Center condemns the continued detention of lawyer and human rights defender Ahmed Nazih El-Halou for the third consecutive year, through the continuous renewal of his pretrial detention without legal grounds, in a blatant violation of the constitution, law, and international treaties.
El-Halou was arrested from his home in the Fifth Settlement on November 7, 2022, and held for a week in an unknown location, before appearing before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on November 13, 2022, in connection with case number 1940 of 2022, where he faced the usual charges:
Spreading false news
Misuse of social media
These are vague charges systematically used to target human rights defenders.
The continuation of his pretrial detention represents a direct violation of Article 143 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which sets a maximum limit for pretrial detention, and contravenes fair trial standards in both:
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
The center affirms that using pretrial detention as an actual punishment without a judicial ruling poses a serious threat to the rule of law and the rights of the accused.
Although El-Halou is a lawyer and a member of the Bar Association, the association continues to remain silent regarding the continuation of his detention, a position that raises concerns about its role in protecting its members and preserving the independence of the profession.
The Al-Shehab Human Rights Center demands:
The immediate release of Ahmed Nazih El-Halou
The cessation of using pretrial detention as a punitive tool
Respect for the right of lawyers and human rights defenders to perform their work without threat or harassment
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