Mohamed Ali Hassan

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Police in plainclothes raided Hassan’s home at dawn on December 11, 2014, and took him, his wife, and their infant daughter to the Agouza police station in Cairo, Hassan’s wife told CPJ. They did not present a warrant, she said. She was released with their child after a few hours in custody.

Hassan, 31, is a correspondent for the privately owned news website Misr Alan, which is affiliated with a satellite television channel of the same name. Both are sympathetic to ousted President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood and his supporters. The website has covered demonstrations against Morsi’s ouster.

During the arrest, police told Hassan and his wife that he was being detained because he worked for Misr Alan,Hassan’s wife said.

Prosecutors charged Hassan with “spreading false news,” “inciting illegal protests,” “funding illegal protests,” as well as belonging to “an illegal group,” according to his wife and local rights groups. The Muslim Brotherhood is banned and listed as a terrorist organization in Egypt.

Hassan’s pretrial detention, at the Giza prison, is periodically renewed by the prosecutor’s office. His request for release was rejected by a Cairo criminal court on May 3, 2015, according to rights groups. Hassan’s wife told CPJ he was in good health in prison.

No trial had been scheduled as of late 2015.