CAIRO- Over 100 individuals in Egypt found themselves in police custody following their involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations last week, though subsequent developments have seen the release of some of these detainees, according to statements made by legal representatives on Tuesday.

Officially sanctioned protests expressing solidarity with the Palestinians during Israel's military operations in Gaza took place in various locations across Egypt on Friday.

However, a group of demonstrators in Cairo ventured toward Tahrir Square, the iconic epicenter of Egypt's 2011 uprising, which was not among the designated locations for the pro-Palestinian rally. Law enforcement swiftly intervened to disperse the unauthorized gathering. In Egypt, public protests that lack official approval are prohibited, and Tahrir Square, significantly reconfigured in recent years, remains under heavy surveillance by security agencies due to its symbolic significance.

Human rights attorney Nabeh Elganadi disclosed that approximately 40 of the arrests occurred in Cairo, with another 65 in Alexandria, and a smaller number in various other provinces. Fourteen detainees from Cairo were summoned to the public prosecutor's office. Notably, at least 18 detainees from Cairo were released on Monday, with expectations that this number may increase.

Efforts to obtain comments from judicial officials and a spokesperson for the interior ministry were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has presided over a protracted crackdown on dissent across the political spectrum during his nearly decade-long tenure. Rights organizations assert that tens of thousands have been incarcerated on political grounds and without proper legal procedures, an accusation Egyptian authorities consistently refute.

Among those detained in the aftermath of the recent demonstrations were individuals who supported a campaign led by former parliament member Ahmed Tantawy, who intended to stand against President Sisi in the upcoming December presidential elections. This was confirmed by both Elganadi and Belal Habib, a legal advisor to Tantawy's campaign.

Tantawy eventually withdrew from the campaign, citing allegations of harassment and arrests of his supporters as he worked to secure the 25,000 public endorsements required for his candidacy—a claim that Egypt's election authority subsequently declared as baseless.