A senior prosecutor ordered the release of political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah on Tuesday, saying he refused to cooperate with investigators.
Abdel Fattah arrived at the High Court in Cairo earlier Tuesday to be questioned over recent clashes with the Muslim Brotherhood outside their main headquarters in Moqattam.
According to Hazim Salah, Abdel Fattah demanded a judge conduct his questioning, an indication he doesn’t trust the assigned prosecutors working on the case.
Abdel Fattah arrived a day after being summoned in white clothing, in case he was arrested pending investigations.
“I turned myself in so as not to be considered [a fugitive from] justice, although I don’t recognize the prosecutor general,” he added.
Hundreds of demonstrators protested before the High Court to condemn the arrest warrant issued by Prosecutor General Talaat Abdullah against Abdel Fattah and several other political activists who previously took part in the 25 January revolution.
In addition to Abdel Fattah, Abdallah also ordered Ahmed Douma, Karim al-Shaer, Hazem Abdel Azim and Ahmed Ghoneimy be summoned for investigation and banned all of them from traveling. Activist Nawwara Negm will also be interrogated.
Abdel Fattah was previously arrested after violent clashes outside the Maspero building on 9 October 2011 which left dozens of mainly Coptic Christian protesters dead.
However, the activist was eventually acquitted of murdering a soldier, stealing weapons from the Armed Forces and destroying public and private property.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
