The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) welcomes the Supreme State Security Prosecution’s decision yesterday, October 19 to release trade unionist and founder of the Teachers’ Independence Movement Mohamed Zahran. He had been detained since July 15 over two posts on his personal Facebook account.

The decision came days after Zahran’s family posted an appeal on his account calling for his release, saying his health had deteriorated to the point that he could no longer care for himself in prison.

Zahran was arrested at his home on the evening of July 15 and appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution the following day. Prosecutors ordered his detention pending investigation in Case No. 5773 of 2026 on charges of spreading false news and using an online account to promote ideas advocating terrorist acts.

During questioning, prosecutors asked Zahran about two Facebook posts. One invited teachers to a meeting to discuss court rulings concerning the judicial sequestration of the Teachers’ Syndicate. Zahran explained that the meeting had not taken place because he was awaiting security approval. In the other post, he criticized some colleagues for paying more attention to football matches than to his arbitrary dismissal and previous detention.

This was the fourth case brought against Zahran before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, following earlier investigations in 2020, 2023 and 2026. In 2023, he was arrested while participating as an expert in the National Dialogue’s Education Committee sessions. He was released in the third case on March 25 on LE10,000 bail, before being arrested again in July.