State Security Prosecution officially charged young photojournalist Esraa al-Tawil of belonging to a terrorist group and spreading false news on Monday, and ordered the renewal of her detention by 15 days.
In mid-June, Tawil was spotted in Al-Qanater prison after disappearing June 1, along with her two friends, Sohaib Saad and Omar Mohamed, all of whom were having dinner in the neighborhood of Maadi.
Tawil was abducted by security forces and held in detention for almost two months without charges.
Prosecution said that it will consider renewing Tawil’s detention again on August 11, 2015.
Tawil is one of a growing trend of forced disappearances, where citizens are abducted by security forces without any record, notification or official charges. Though some abductees are found in jails or prisons, many are still missing.
The Human Rights Monitor reported that there were 44 cases of forced disappearances in May alone.
On June 11, Egypt Independent first published an opinion piece written by one of Tawil's friends on her disappearance.
