By Valentine Uchechukwu Ndukwu
Egypt Court Frees Man Jailed as a Teen After 10-Year Battle
An Egyptian court in Alexandria has cleared Abdullah Osama Abdel Aal of murder and protest-related charges, more than a decade after he was accused in a 2014 demonstration when he was still a child.
He had earlier been sentenced in his absence to ten years in prison, a verdict now overturned after a retrial.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which represented Abdullah, said the case was full of legal irregularities including the fact that he spent five years in pre-trial detention, even though Egyptian law sets a two-year limit.
His lawyer argued that the police evidence was weak and that Abdullah had already faced judgment in a juvenile court for the same protest.
The EIPR welcomed the verdict, saying it highlights the need for fair trials and respect for children’s rights under Egyptian law.
The group also urged authorities to enforce legal limits on detention and ensure that no one is punished twice for the same crime.
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