Arrest Warrant Issued for Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah for a Twitter Mention · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah surrendered himself to the public prosecution today (March 26) after an arrest warrant was issued for him last night. The investigation, tweets Abd El Fattah, revolved around his relationship with Princess Joumana and her mention of him on Twitter. In other words, an arrest warrant was issued for Abd El Fattah, for a mention on Twitter.
Arrest warrants were also issued for political activists Ahmed Douma, Karim Al Shaer, Hazem Abdel Azeem and Ahmed Al Sahafi.
The Public Prosecution didn't seem to know what to do when Abd El Fattah showed up there. After an initial delay, Abd El Fattah tweets [ar]:
البلاغ مسخرة مكسوف للنيابة الصراحة
@alaa: The complaints is ridiculous. I am really embarrassed for the Public Prosecution.
Abd El Fattah holds his son Khaled outside the Public Prosecution earlier today. Photograph shared by @AymanAmalak on Twitter
Adding:
بقى اتسأل ما علاقتك بالاميرة جومانة و ما تفسير التعليقات الواردة على صفحتك في تويتر؟ بتحاكم على منشن يا بشر
@alaa:So I am asked about my relationship with Princess Joumana and how I should explain her mentions to me on Twitter. I am being investigated for a mention!
And he adds:
عموما رفضت الاجابة على كل الاسئلة لعدم حياد النائب العام ورغم تهافت التدعائات طلبت قاضي تحقيق. مفيش في الورق حاجة لو اتحبست تبقى قمة المسخرة
@alaa:I have refused to answer all the questions because of the lack of neutrality of the Public Prosecutor and despite the ridiculousness of the charges, I have asked for an investigation judge. There is nothing against me in the charges and if I am jailed, it would be a farce.
The charges, if this is all the Public Prosecution had to issue an arrest warning, attracted massive ridicule from netizens.
Lawyer Ragia Omran asks:
لماذا دار القضاء العالي تحول الي سكنة امنية من الامن المركزي خارج و بالداخل؟ للدرجة دي خايفين من علاء و رفاقة؟ @alaa
@rago_legal: Why has the court turned into a security barrack from the inside and out? Are they afraid of Alaa and his friends to this extent?
Ezbai quips:
كل واحد يخلي باله من منشناته
@ezabi:Everyone should now take care of his mentions
And Ahmed Abd El-Fatah (not Alaa's brother) jokes:
بعد موضوع جومانة علاء هو الي هيطلب من النيابة تسجنه.. هيخاغ يرجع البيت
@AhmedFatah: After Joumana's story is out, Alaa is the one who will ask the Public Prosecution to arrest him. He would be too afraid to return home.
Nelly Ali asks the authorities to get real:
@nellyali: a completely ludicrous government, @alaa gets arrested for being included in a mention… keep up with the times #MB…come out of ur caves!
Cairo67Unedited concludes:
@Cairo76Unedited: More comic this regime gets the more tragic it is 4 #Egyptians @alaa being prosecuted because of a mention not because of something he said