Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF) expresses its grave concern over the continued systematic persecution of blogger and prisoner of conscience Mohamed Oxygen. He has been imprisoned in Egypt since 2019, following his re-arrest shortly after his pretrial detention was replaced with precautionary measures. He was subsequently tried and convicted based on his media work and opinions shared on his social media accounts.
On January 3, 2026, Mohamed Oxygen completed his full four-year sentence following his conviction in Case No. 1356 of 2019, on charges of “spreading false news” and “joining a terrorist group.” This is the same case for which lawyer and human rights defender Mohamed El-Baqer and prominent activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah were imprisoned before receiving presidential pardons. Instead of releasing him, the authorities scheduled a hearing for January 20, 2026, to consider renewing his detention in another case—Case No. 855 of 2020—where he faces the same charges for which he has already served his sentence.
Since 2018, the courageous blogger Mohamed Oxygen has been subjected to a long series of systematic and severe violations. The Egyptian authorities appear determined to silence him and retaliate against the media content he provides online. He was first arrested and forcibly disappeared on April 6, 2018, by the National Security Agency, before appearing on April 17 before the Supreme State Security Prosecution. He was detained for a year and a half in Case No. 621 of 2018, during which he endured torture and severe abuse, leading him to go on a hunger strike in May 2018.
On July 22, 2019, a Terrorism Circuit of the Criminal Court ordered his release under precautionary measures. However, nearly two months later—on September 21, 2019—security forces re-arrested him while he was covering the famous “September 20” protests. He was then brought before the prosecution in Case No. 1365 of 2019 (State Security). After 14 months of pretrial detention, another court ordered his release. In defiance of the law, the Ministry of Interior refused to release him and instead referred him to trial in a new case (No. 855 of 2020) alongside Mohamed El-Baqer and Alaa Abd El-Fattah. Notably, the security investigations for this third case were conducted while he was already in custody for the previous case.
Mohamed Oxygen has faced grave violations that warrant accountability, ranging from torture and “rotation” (recycling of cases) to the circumvention of judicial orders and prolonged solitary confinement. This relentless pressure led him to attempt suicide twice while in detention. Despite this, the Egyptian authorities continue to insist on his incarceration.
In recognition of his pioneering role in information dissemination and his defense of press freedom—despite years of torture and isolation—Reporters Without Borders (RSF) honored him with the “Courage Award” in December 2023.
Karim Abdel Rady, Executive Director of Law and Democracy Support Foundation, stated:
“The case of Mohamed Oxygen is a stark example of the severe hostility toward freedom of expression and the press, which has escalated unprecedentedly since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took power in 2013. The authorities are not only attempting to dominate all spaces of expression but are also seeking revenge against those with independent opinions, using them as cautionary tales to intimidate all journalists in Egypt.”
Abdel Rady added:
“Despite the authorities’ claims of wanting to end the use of pretrial detention as a punishment, the case of Mohamed Oxygen—who has been denied release for over two weeks after completing his sentence—proves that these measures, including recent legislative amendments, lack genuine political will. They are nothing more than attempts to improve the regime’s image.”
The Law and Democracy Support Foundation stresses that the Egyptian authorities must release Mohamed Oxygen immediately, cease the cycle of grave violations against him, and hold those responsible for his torture and enforced disappearance accountable.
