Activist Arrested Over Sticker

January 25 supposedly still marks the moment Egyptians stopped fearing having a political opinion. The three years that followed saw Egyptians expressing their hopes and dreams of a new Egypt. An Egypt where everyone is protected and free to believe what they wish.

However that was then and this is now. The actualization of a new Egypt is considered by some as a colossal fail. Few if any of the revolutionary goals have been achieved, and as we prepare for Sisi's reign, it is unclear to the nation what freedoms are left.

This became increasingly evident in light of the mass arrests that have swept the country since June 30. In recent months, police have arrested anyone caught wearing a pro-Muslim Brotherhood Rabaa sign.

Any mention of the state-approved massacre is enough to send a person to jail. This should come as no surprise to citizens who follow the media, as arrests over the symbols have become routine, as authorities continue to attempt to erase the event from Egyptian history.

However, unsatisfied with just arresting Brotherhood supporters, authorities have widened their net, and are now arresting citizens that express any sort of political opinion that challenges, well, anything. On Sunday, Alexandrian police arrested renowned activist Safwan Mohamed, for having a sticker on his backpack saying “No to Military Trials.”

Safwan Mohamed, a member of the liberal Dostour Party, was arrested at a checkpoint in East Alexandria after they discovered the sticker on his bag. Safwan was among the first Egyptians to sign the 2010 petition supporting Mohamed ElBaradei, and also ran for parliament and lost in his home district against two prominent Islamists in 2011 parliamentary elections.

 To date, hundreds of liberal and leftist activist have been arrested for challenging the protest law, but Safwan Mohamed's case is different, as he was arrested for "insulting the armed forces," according to Al-Ahram.

The authorities seem to have a thing against stickers, because previously a schoolchild was arrested for having a Rabaa sticker. But things seem dire, not just for sticker buffs, but generally anyone who wants to say anything about anything.