ONE of Egypt's most prominent activists, Alaa Abdel Fattah, has been released on bail ahead of his re-trial on charges of violating a protest law, triggering celebrations by dozens of supporters in the court room.
Mr Abdel Fattah, a leading secular figure in the 2011 revolt that toppled Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, and other defendants facing similar charges, were freed from a court room cage immediately after the judge's ruling and were swamped by friends and family.
A total of 25 defendants - including Mr Abdel Fattah in absentia - had been each sentenced to 15 years in June for violating a law that seeks to curtail demonstrations - legislation branded repressive by human rights groups.
Mr Abdel Fattah and two other activists were later arrested, an event which in Egyptian law prompts a re-trial in the same court.
But the judge, Mohamed Ali al Fiki, said yesterday he would no longer look into the case and asked it be transferred to another court. Mr Fiki said he had taken the decision because a lack of respect for the court had put him in an embarrassing position.
The judge did not elaborate but asked the prosecution to investigate how a family video unrelated to Mr Abdel Fattah's case had been included as evidence. The airing of the footage at a previous hearing earlier this month had caused uproar among the defendants.
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