CAIRO, Aug. 25 (Aswat Masriya) - Public Prosecution has appealed on Thursday the decision to release Malek Adly, who was ordered to be released earlier the same day, a lawyer of the prosecution, Waleed al-Bily said.

The decision to release the human rights lawyer will be decided next Saturday after considering the appeal, al-Bily told Aswat Masriya.

The Banha Criminal court had ordered the release, pending investigation, of Adly, a renowned human rights lawyer, after almost four months of detention.

"I don't understand why the prosecution would insist on an unlawful procedure while they know completely that they cannot appeal this decision," Khaled Ali, one of the defence lawyers, said on his Facebook page. "We were surprised today with the prosecution appealing the appeal, which contradicts with Article 167 of Criminal Procedures."

Adly was detained on May 6 after publicly opposing the maritime border demarcation agreement which saw Egypt handing the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.

Protests, which erupted on April 15 and April 25 in opposition to the Egyptian-Saudi agreement, were met by a wide scale security sweep that saw hundreds of arrests. Many of those arrested were later released or acquitted in court.

Ali, Adly and other human rights lawyers took the initiative to file a lawsuit with the administrative court to cancel the decision to cede the two islands.

In June, the Administrative Court annulled the agreement, affirming that the islands fall within Egypt’s borders. However, the State Lawsuit Authority, which represents the government, appealed against the ruling before the Supreme Administrative Court.

The Supreme Administrative Court has yet to decide on the case.

Adly faced charges of inciting protest, publishing false news, possessing publications inciting against the state, joining an organisation that aims to disable the provisions of the constitution, and working to overthrow the regime.

His detention was renewed several times since his arrest in May. According to his wife Asmaa Ali, Adly had been held in solitary confinement since his arrest, which led to a rapid deterioration of his health.