April 6 Youth Movement Ban Case

The court banned the April 6 Youth Movement, a decision that was affirmed upon second review.

The court allegedly banned the April 6 Youth Movement for “acts that tarnish Egypt’s image as well as espionage.” The court also ordered the confiscation of its properties and the closure of the group’s headquarters. When expanding on its reasoning, the court also argued that the movement was involved in violent attacks against security services and that its documents were used for personal purposes and to create chaos through the media.

Lawyer Ashraf Saeed initially filed the case. The verdict was condemned widely by domestic and international entities including Human Rights Watch, the Constitution Party, and even members of the National Human Rights Council.

Starting in 2013, the Urgent Matters Court, originally established to be a temporary and immediate court for administrative relief, began to issue political verdicts that some legal scholars argued to be in the purview of the criminal or constitutional courts. The designation by the court came at a time of serious questions regarding the politicization of the judiciary.