Mahienour is free!
Mahienour El-Masry, a leading member of Egypt's Revolutionary Socialists who was convicted and sent to prison for violating the military regime's ban of political protests, has been released after serving four months of a six-month sentence.
She and eight others were convicted for demonstrating outside an Alexandria courthouse in December 2013 to draw attention to the retrial of police officers who murdered political blogger Khaled Said. Said's murder in June 2010 contributed to the growing anger that eventually boiled over into the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. Mahienour was part of the initial group of activists who campaigned for a trial of the police who tortured Said to death.
A tireless campaign of hunger strikes, letter writing and solidarity finally secured Mahienour's release and--crucially--the suspension of a $7,000 fine she was also facing. This statement by the announces Mahienour's release and pledges to keep up the struggle until the protest law is rescinded and all political prisoners are freed.
LESS THAN 48 hours after she was released from jail, Revolutionary Socialist and human rights lawyer Mahienour El-Masry restarted her organizing work with the Free the Brave Campaign, choosing to focus on mobilizing to free all women political prisoners.
On Sunday, September 21, an Alexandria judge suspended El-Masry's six-month sentence for breaking the Protest Law, cancelled a $7,000 fine she was earlier hit with, and ordered her release.
This was a small victory for those of us who spent the past nine months campaigning against the repressive law that sent thousands of peaceful protesters to jails.
It comes on the heels of activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah leaving jail on bail in a similar case last week.
There is no doubt in our minds that a courageous campaign of hunger strikes by 80 prisoners and more than 250 supporters played no small role in putting pressure on the Egyptian authorities.
We would like to thank all of our friends who showed solidarity with Mahienour and all political prisoners in Egypt. We vow to continue the fight to free all the thousands in jail and to end the Protest Law in order to build a democratic Egypt.
We know we can count on your support.
