Today, Monday 20 September, the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) decided to release the poet and former political prisoner Ahmed Douma on bail of 50,000 EGP (approximately 1,000 US dollars). This follows charges directed against him of spreading false news and statements domestically and abroad, in connection with Case No. 7071/2025, Supreme State Security Investigations. Douma attended today’s investigation based on an official summons received last Thursday, 25 September, for questioning in connection with the case. The summons order did not specify the nature or any details related to the case.

SSSP interrogated Douma for over four hours, based on a single preliminary investigative report filed by the National Security Sector (State Security), which stated that Douma "undertook the spreading of false news and incitement against the police."

SSSP confronted Douma with a number of posts he had re-shared on his personal Facebook account, some of which he had commented on, saying that he was unsure of their accuracy. The prosecution questioned the poet and journalist about a post he made concerning an officer he encountered during his ten-year prison sentence. Douma clarified to the prosecution that what he published on this matter could not be considered false news in any way, as he was exercising his lawful and legitimate right to report incidents he had witnessed that occurred to him and others among his colleagues during his detention.

It is notable that the State Security Prosecution asked Douma about an opinion article he published in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper on 27 September—two days after his summons for investigation was issued—titled "Alaa Abd El Fattah... and the Illusions of Freedom After Release from Detention." The prosecution did not clarify to Douma or  members of his defence team the nature of the false news contained in the article, but instead asked him about the "intention" behind some of the phrases used. Douma opted to use his right to remain silent.

Ahmed Douma has faced various restrictions since his release from prison by presidential pardon in August 2023. In addition to restrictions on his movement and the difficulty of obtaining permanent employment due to institutional reluctance to enable him to retrieve or reissue official documents, he is repeatedly summoned for questioning on charges stemming from exercising his constitutional right to freedom of expression. Today's questioning of Ahmed Douma is the fourth time he has been investigated in connection with a State Security case in less than a year. SSSP had summoned him for questioning in new cases on the same charges in November 2024, April 2025, and July 2025. Following each of these investigations, the prosecution ordered his release on financial bail, bringing the total bail paid by Douma to approximately 130,000 Egyptian Pounds, an amount that exceeds a full year's salary based on Egypt's minimum wage (7,000 EGP per month, equivalent to about 140 US dollars a month).