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This was the first hearing in workers' trial, which took place on Sunday 22 August 2010 at Egypt's Military Tribunal - one of Egypt's ‘special courts', frequently used by the Egyptian government to suppress activists and opponents.

The following eight individuals from the Helwan Engineering Industries Company are on trial:

Haitham Al-Maleh

On Sunday 15 August 2010, the fifth day of the holy month of Ramadan, Haitham Al-Maleh turns 80. Usually a time for celebration, this year's birthday is no joyous occasion - he's seriously ill, behind bars in Damascus' Adra prison and unable to spend Ramadan with his family.

According to Alkarama's sources, Hossam Raif Ahmed Al-Teky, a resident of Qena governorate, was buying flour at the local store when security officers from the Dishna police investigative bureau entered the shop - arresting Hossam and the shop owner.

Mese'ed Al-Shaf'i, 56, spent nearly a month in solitary confinement at State Security Investigative (SSI) services headquarters in Nasr City, Cairo. During this isolation period he was exposed to torture, while his family and lawyer had no idea of his whereabouts. He eventually reappeared at Al-Makhoum prison on 20 May 2010, where he remains illegally detained in total absence of any legal proceedings.

On 30 June 2010, Alkarama, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and nine Egyptian NGOs called for the release of all detainees held for reasons other than "drug related or terrorist offences", including Hani Nazeer and other bloggers still detained for having freely expressed their opinions.

Alkarama recently received the case of Palestinian refugee in Iraq, Mahmoud Al-Khayat, who spent nearly five years in custody during which he was transferred between eight separate detention centres and prisons.

Rachid Almakki was abducted by intelligence officers on 23 April 2010 in Casablanca and taken to an unknown location.