Egypt arrests dozens ahead of planned Red Sea islands protests

Egyptian security forces have arrested dozens of people ahead of anti-government demonstrations against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s recent decision to hand the control of two strategic Red Sea islands over to Saudi Arabia.

Freedom for the Brave – an action campaign designed to advocate and advance the rights of Egyptian prisoners and detainees – stated that police raided scores of cafes in the capital, Cairo, as well as houses in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, Nile Delta and Upper Egypt regions late on Thursday, and rounded up dozens of people ahead of planned April 25 protests.

Human rights activist Amr Emam said at least 100 people are estimated to have been arrested around the North African country on Thursday night.

He added that at least 56 people were detained in Cairo, while 45 others in other areas.

Among those arrested were prominent rights activists and lawyers Haitham Mohamadein and Mohamed Mostafa.

The Egyptian government has been under fire since it announced in a statement on April 9 that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir fall within the territorial waters of Saudi Arabia based on a maritime border agreement signed with Riyadh the previous day.

Leader of the opposition Egyptian Popular Current, Hamdeen Sabahi, has already filed a 10-page complaint at a Cairo administrative court over the contentious deal.

The senior opposition politician said he possesses documents that prove the islands, Tiran and Sanafir, are Egyptian territory and cannot be transferred to Saudi Arabia.

Legal experts and other opposition figures, including exiled politician Ayman Nour, and the country’s Muslim Brotherhood movement have also cast doubt on the legitimacy of the agreement between Cairo and Riyadh, arguing that relinquishing authority over Egyptian territory is unconstitutional.

EA