On Thursday, Egypt's Cairo criminal court set April 20 to declare its final verdict in the trial of Beladi Foundation, which is known in the media as "the case of Aya Hegazy".
Originally, the court set March 23 for its final verdict but decided to adjourn it to April 20 as it was waiting for "the technical experts' " report about the case.
The 29-years old and her husband Mohamed Hassanein as well the rest of defendants in the trial are accused of who are accused of human trafficking, kidnapping, and the sexual exploitation and torture of street children in Beladi Foundation.
It is worth to mention that according to official forensic reports in the case, the children did not suffer from any sexual abuse.
Just like in their previous session on February 14, Aya Hegazy and her husband Mohamed Hassenein's photos together in the court room's cage went viral like fire throughout the weekend.
You can see why they had gone viral.
Still, those photos did not stop me as much the photo of Aya while reading a book inside the cage before Hassenein's arrival.
Aya was reading Maya Angelou's 1960s autobiography "I know why the caged bird sings".
I think in her detention since 2014, Hegazy knows why the caged bird sings.
First scenario: Aya Hegazy and her team will be acquitted "I hope that this will happen inshallah"
Second scenario: Aya Hegazy and her team will be found guilty and sentenced to jail for a number of years. "Heavens forbid"
Legally, it will be a first-degree order and can be appealed in front of the appeal court. It will take months to the court of appeal reaches to decision to accept the appeal or reject it.
If the court accepts the appeal, then it will send back the case to the criminal court to start from all over again.
If the trial ends in another jail sentence "mostly reduced according to previous cases" then it will head to the cassation court whether to accept the appeal and orders a retrial.
If the court rejects the appeal and upheld the sentence, then I think it will head to the court of cassation but it can take years till the cassation court reaches to a verdict.
The cassation court is considered the final stage in our judicial system in Egypt.
Legally, the Presidential pardon for both Egyptians and Non-Egyptians are possible after the court of cassation's stage.
I believe if Aya is not acquitted in any of the previously mentioned steps above, then Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as a president can issue his pardon as she is an American citizen.
She and her team can also be pardoned through the Presidential committee organized by the Presidency to look into the case of the Youth imprisoned because of a political issue.
I think Aya Hegazy needs more noise because even though she is an American-Egyptian citizen, I do not think that the U.S administration now will care that much like before.
Yes, members of the US embassy attended the last two sessions from the trial but I do not know if the current U.S administration got the enthusiasm to help their dual nationality U.S citizens.
Already El-Sisi is going to visit Washington D.C next week in his first visit to the U.S capital to meet president Donald Trump.
Originally, the court set March 23 for its final verdict but decided to adjourn it to April 20 as it was waiting for "the technical experts' " report about the case.
The 29-years old and her husband Mohamed Hassanein as well the rest of defendants in the trial are accused of who are accused of human trafficking, kidnapping, and the sexual exploitation and torture of street children in Beladi Foundation.
It is worth to mention that according to official forensic reports in the case, the children did not suffer from any sexual abuse.
Just like in their previous session on February 14, Aya Hegazy and her husband Mohamed Hassenein's photos together in the court room's cage went viral like fire throughout the weekend.
You can see why they had gone viral.
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| The hug between Hassenein and Hegazy inside the cage "By Mostafa Bassim Adly" |
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| Hasseinein and Hegazy in the cage "By Mostafa Bassim Adly" |
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| Hasseinein and Hegazy in the cage by Mostafa Bassim Adly |
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| Hasseinein and Hegazy in the cage by Mostafa Bassim Adly |
Aya was reading Maya Angelou's 1960s autobiography "I know why the caged bird sings".
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| Aya reading Maya Angelou's book by Youm7 |
The upcoming legal scenarios
Realistically speaking, these are the expected scenarios when it comes to the verdict in the trial of "Beladi Foundation" and its members specifically Aya.First scenario: Aya Hegazy and her team will be acquitted "I hope that this will happen inshallah"
Second scenario: Aya Hegazy and her team will be found guilty and sentenced to jail for a number of years. "Heavens forbid"
Legally, it will be a first-degree order and can be appealed in front of the appeal court. It will take months to the court of appeal reaches to decision to accept the appeal or reject it.
If the court accepts the appeal, then it will send back the case to the criminal court to start from all over again.
If the trial ends in another jail sentence "mostly reduced according to previous cases" then it will head to the cassation court whether to accept the appeal and orders a retrial.
If the court rejects the appeal and upheld the sentence, then I think it will head to the court of cassation but it can take years till the cassation court reaches to a verdict.
The cassation court is considered the final stage in our judicial system in Egypt.
Legally, the Presidential pardon for both Egyptians and Non-Egyptians are possible after the court of cassation's stage.
I believe if Aya is not acquitted in any of the previously mentioned steps above, then Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as a president can issue his pardon as she is an American citizen.
She and her team can also be pardoned through the Presidential committee organized by the Presidency to look into the case of the Youth imprisoned because of a political issue.
I think Aya Hegazy needs more noise because even though she is an American-Egyptian citizen, I do not think that the U.S administration now will care that much like before.
Yes, members of the US embassy attended the last two sessions from the trial but I do not know if the current U.S administration got the enthusiasm to help their dual nationality U.S citizens.
Already El-Sisi is going to visit Washington D.C next week in his first visit to the U.S capital to meet president Donald Trump.
Aya Hegazy will have been imprisoned for 3 years and 2 weeks without having been convicted of any offence.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.barhumanrights.org.uk/bhrc-responds-to-latest-delay-in-aya-hegazy-case/