Pyramids FC midfielder Nasser Maher was arrested to enforce a six-month prison sentence issued in absentia before prosecutors released him following a legal challenge.
Police detained Maher within the jurisdiction of the Fifth Settlement Police Station and transferred him to the New Cairo Public Prosecution. His lawyers then filed an opposition to the in-absentia judgment, and prosecutors subsequently ordered his release.
The case, however, remains before the courts. Maher’s lawyer said the player was surprised to learn of the judgment, and that defence would take the necessary steps to challenge it.
The First Settlement Misdemeanour Court issued the sentence in Case No. 403 of 2023. The ruling imposed six months’ imprisonment with labour and set bail at EGP1,000 to suspend its execution temporarily.
The case concerns an alleged assault on a security guard inside a residential compound in New Cairo. According to court documents, an argument developed into a physical altercation between the two. The guard suffered injuries documented in a forensic medical report.
The guard’s legal team later petitioned the public prosecutor and requested Maher’s placement on travel ban and arrival watch lists. They argued that he had not challenged the judgment within the original legal deadline and sought its enforcement.
The security guard’s lawyer said that he would request another forensic examination at the next hearing, alleging that his client had suffered a permanent impairment to his right arm.
The lawyer added that the security guard would seek EGP 3 million in compensation, but neither Maher nor his representatives have publicly responded to those claims.
The 29-year-old joined Pyramids from Zamalek in January on a four-and-a-half-year contract.
Nasser Maher made 62 appearances during his two-year spell with Zamalek. He helped the White Knights win the 2024 CAF Super Cup and the 2025 Egypt Cup.