Maikel Nabil protesting emergency laws (Photo: facebook)
The government returned detained blogger MaikelNabil to a military prison in northern Cairo on Thursday after a 3-MD psychiatric panel at Abbassiya Mental Hospital issued a report clearing him of mental illness, hospital officials told Ahram Online.
Nabil was expected to be released from the hospital on Wednesday, but a nationwide police sergeant’s strike delayed his transfer by 24 hours.
A military judge had referred Nabil to the mental hospital on Sunday after the blogger, along with his lawyers, refused to attend a court session to protest his ongoing trial before a military tribunal.
Egypt's ruling military council arrested Nabil in March for posting a blog entitled, “The people and army were never one hand,” in which he openly criticised the Egyptian ruling military council.
Nabil was eventually sentenced to three years in prison. Earlier this month, however, a military appeals court revoked the jail term and ordered a retrial set for 1 November.
Nabil has been on a hunger strike for more than two months to protest his prosecution as a civilian by a military court.
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