EGYPT: Prosecutors Appeal Acquittal Of Men Arrested In Cairo Bathhouse Raid

Scott Long writes at Paper Bird:

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights tells me (and the newspaper Al Wafd reports tonight) that the prosecution has formally appealed the not-guilty verdict against the 26 men. The prosecution has the right to appeal twice, under Egyptian law — once to an appeals court, and after that to the Court of Cassation. We don’t know whether the appeal will be accepted and a new trial held. Our understanding is that the law requires the existing verdict to be implemented pending the appeal — that is, the men should be freed. But the police will very likely try to find some pretext to keep them detained. What this shows is that the state is still hellbent on persecuting these men to the limits of its power.

Long notes that "plans are underway" to sue Mona Iraqi, the reporter who instigated the raid. Iraqi was on vacation in Paris during the trial.