Sherif Al Rouby is a political activist who was involved in the April 6 Youth Movement.
He was arrested for the first time in April 2016 for allegedly violating the country’s draconian Protest Law and was subsequently released in May of that year. He was arrested a second time in April 2018 and added to Case 621 of 2018 on allegations of terrorism and spreading false news; he was released in July 2019. Sherif was then arrested for a third time in December 2020 and added to Case 1111 of 2020, again on allegations related to terrorism and spreading false news. Throughout each of these periods of pretrial detention, no evidence was presented to substantiate any of the allegations against him, and after the Presidential Pardon Committee recommended Sherif’s release, he was released in May 2022.
During the period of his release from May to September 2022, Sherif spoke honestly and publicly about the trauma and difficulties he has endured as a result of years of detentions and rights violations. He was banned from travel, rendering him vulnerable to the re-arrest that eventually occurred, as well as other forms of targeting and harassment. He was struggling to rebuild his life, as his assets were frozen and he was unable to find a job.
Sherif was once again detained on 16 September 2022, and forcibly disappeared for a period of over 24 hours. While disappeared, he was interrogated about his public statements that referenced the difficulties he faced since his release, including being subject to travel ban, asset freeze, and de facto requirements to appear before the National Security Agency. On 17 September, he appeared before a prosecutor and was remanded in pretrial detention in Case 1634 of 2022 on allegations related to terrorism and spreading false news.
Since then, Mr Al Rouby’s detention has been continuously renewed. In August 2023, at his detention renewal session, he complained that he has not been given adequate medical care.