Egypt detains human rights lawyer on terror charges for wearing yellow vest, as authorities fear copycat protests
Egypt has detained a human rights lawyer on terrorism charges after he appeared in a photo wearing a yellow vest in solidarity with French protesters, activists have said, as Cairo restricts sales of the protest symbol to prevent copycat rallies.
A prosecutor in Alexandria ordered Mohamed Ramadan be held for 15 days pending investigations into charges he is part of a terrorist group, and for inciting protests.
The reflective safety vests have become the trademark of French demonstrations, which were sparked by a planned fuel tax increase but have grown into calls to address cost of living and low wages.
Egyptian human rights law firm Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) said that Alexandria’s public prosecutor falsely claimed Mr Ramadan had five vests in his possession. The group said he is being held at the National Security headquarters in the coastal city.
“He is charged with possessing yellow vests to use in demonstrations against the Egyptian regime copycatting the protests that erupted in France,” said Mohamed Hafez, an AFTE lawyer.
He confirmed that Mr Ramadan did not have any yellow vests on him.
“Possessing yellow vests is not a crime itself; there are no laws criminalising having or wearing yellow shirts. These actions show that the current regime is terrified of repeating what has happened in France,” Mr Hafez added.
The group said that Mr Ramadan is also charged with joining a terrorist group and promoting its ideologies through social media, publishing fake news, and possessing illegal publications.
Mahienour el-Massry, a prominent human rights lawyer and activist in the city, confirmed the arrest and told The Independent that Mr Ramadan was detained on the 10 December and appeared before the prosecutor a day later.
She said he was held after a photo of him wearing a yellow vest in solidarity with French protesters was circulated online.
“They said that he is member of a terrorist group and that he wanted to incite protests like the yellow vests rallies in France. But they fabricated the evidence: they said he had five yellow vests in his possession and some leaflets which he didn’t,” she added.
Authorities consider the photo an incitement to hold similar protests. Two security sources told Reuters Ramadan had been found in possession of eight such vests. The Alexandria prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It comes after tradesmen and security officials reported that vendors have been told to stop selling the vests to walk-in customers ahead of the seventh anniversary of Egypt’s Arab Spring uprising on 25 January next year.
Vendors are only now permitted to sell them wholesale to verified companies with police approval.
The military-led authorities fear a wave of unrest could take hold during the flashpoint month, inspired by the rallies and riots in France.
In nearby Tunisia, a copycat protest movement dubbed the “Red Vests”, mirroring the Tunisian red flag, has already started.
President Abdelfattah al-Sisi, Egypt’s former military chief, has ruled the country with an iron fist since storming to power in a 2013 military overthrow of his predecessor Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader.
Since then, protests without police permits are banned, tens of thousands of dissidents locked up and press freedoms curtailed. The authorities say the measures are needed to bring security to the country which has been plagued by a wave of terror attacks.
Vendors in downtown Cairo confirmed the restrictions on sales.
They made us sign statements that we won’t sell yellow vests. Anyone who sells a single vest is in big trouble
Cairo safety vest vendor
“They made us sign statements that we won’t sell yellow vests,” one trader in downtown Cairo told Reuters.
“Anyone who sells a single vest will put himself in big trouble. Now they’re for display only,” he added.
An employee at another downtown shop said the restriction on selling the vests had started on Saturday and would continue until the end of the month.
At a third shop, a worker said the vests could only be supplied for commercial orders.
