CAIRO (Al Jazeera) – Egypt has added 13 people, including former legislator Zyad Elelaimy, on the country’s ‘terrorism list’ for collaborating with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
The decision, published in the official gazette, stated that their "placement on the terrorism list will be for a period of five years”.
Elelaimy, a key figure of Egypt’s 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak, was arrested in June 2019.
Also put on the list was Ramy Shaath, a prominent activist who holds Egyptian citizenship and was arrested two months after Elelaimy.
Since their arrest, the pair have been charged with joining the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed following the 2013 overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi.
In its ruling, the court said Brotherhood members had tasked "other members of the group ... including Ramy Shaath and Zyad al-Elaimy” with carrying out activities against the state.
Defense lawyer Khaled Ali told AFP news agency the decision was taken in the absence of the lawyers and would be appealed.
Hundreds of people have been added to Egypt’s terrorism list in recent years, including fugitives and people arrested by authorities.
The measure authorizes the authorities to freeze their assets while those who are not behind bars are banned from travel.
Authorities have arrested thousands of Morsi supporters since his removal, as well as secular activists, journalists, lawyers and academics.