The Court of Cassation today, Saturday, revoked a decision to place 1500 individuals accused of joining a “group established contrary to the law” on the “terrorism and travel ban lists,” including former Egyptian football star Mohamed Aboutrika.
The accused in the case were listed on terrorism lists in 2017, resulting in travel bans, placement on watchlists, and asset freezes. The Court of Cassation then annulled the decision.
A year later, a similar decision was made to re-list the accused on “terrorist entities” lists and impose a five-year travel ban.
Lawyer Khaled Ali, who announced the news on his Facebook page, stated that the case, known as the “Aboutrika case,” includes over 1500 defendants. They were initially listed in 2017 based on a criminal court ruling, which the Court of Cassation annulled. The prosecution then filed a new request in 2018 to list them for five years until 2023, which was approved by the criminal court. The Court of Cassation also approved it, rejecting all appeals against the criminal court’s ruling.
Egyptian authorities have accused Aboutrika of financing the banned Muslim Brotherhood group, classified as a “terrorist organization” by Cairo since the end of 2013.
According to a counterterrorism law enacted by Egyptian authorities in 2015, individuals listed on terrorism lists face penalties including travel bans, confiscation of passports, and freezing of financial assets.
Aboutrika, 45, a former star of Al Ahly club who retired in 2013, is one of the most prominent players in Egyptian football history. He notably excelled at the African level during Egypt’s dominance of the Africa Cup of Nations, helping his country win the tournament twice in 2006 and 2008, missing out on the 2010 title due to injury. Aboutrika, who has been working as a sports analyst for beIN Sports channels for years, has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.
