On July 20, 2014, the Manshia Misdemeanor Appeal Court in Alexandria, presided by Judge Sherif Hafez, resulted in lowering the sentence against Woman Human Rights Defender Ms. Mahienour El-Massry to incarceration for 6 months (of which she completed 2 months) and a fine amounting to 50000 Egyptian Pounds. She is currently being detained at Damanhour Women’s Prison. This verdict comes in subsequence to the verdict that was upheld for Ms. El-Massry and 7 other Human Rights defenders on May 20, 2014, by the Sidi Gaber Misdemeanor Court in Alexandria for 2 years’ imprisonment on charges of unauthorized protest and attacking police officers during the Khaled Said murder retrial on 2 December 2013.

Mahienour El-Massry is a prominent women human rights defender and lawyer, who works in the governorate of Alexandria on Syrian and Palestinian refugee issues, labor and student rights. She also works on documenting and exposing human rights violations committed against women and human rights defenders, as well as being the coordinator and spokesperson of No to Military Trials against Civilians in Alexandria. Ms. El-Massry has been recentlyawarded in the Ludovic Trarieux Human Rights annual Prize for the year 2014, for her work in defending human rights.

Nazra for Feminist Studies condemns the continued detention of WHRD Mahienour El-Massry. It is believed that it is directly related to her legitimate activities in defense of human rights and for peacefully protesting against the Protest and Public Assembly Law. Nazra for Feminist Studies reiterates its call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditional release Ms. El-Massry, and drop all charges directed at her stemming from the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

For further information on this case, please refer to Nazra for Feminist Studies’ urgent appeal on the case dated 21 May 2014, in addition to a joint statement that was issued on 21 May 2014 by a number of Egyptian Human Rights and Feminist groups and organizations, and the update dated 28 June 2014.