News

Egypt charges 3 journalists with joining a banned group

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:11 pm

From left to right: Egyptian journalists Hossam Al-Sayyad, Israa Abdelfattah, Solafa Magdi, Mohamed Salah

Three journalists arrested in a café in Cairo have been charged with disseminating false news and joining a banned group.
Solafa Magdi, her husband Hossam Al-Sayyad and Mohamed Salah, were friends of the detained activist
Israa Abdelfattah , who is currently in pre-trial detention.
Co-founder of the 6 April movement, Israa was kidnapped from a street in Cairo in October and strangled in custody until she gave up the password to her phone.
Authorities in the Dokki neighbourhood where her three friends were arrested denied all knowledge of what happened to them. Their families filed a complaint with the public prosecutor holding the interior minister responsible for their safety and demanding it reveal details of their whereabouts.
Their arrest came just 48 hours after a raid on Egypt’s last independent media outlet Mada Masr ignited a wave of international condemnation over the state of Egypt’s press.
On Tuesday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Egypt to respect the freedom of the press and respect the need for a “robust civil society”.

Germany said the raid reflected a “very worrying deterioration of press freedom in Egypt” and reiterated that Germany had repeatedly expressed concern on press freedom in Egypt including at the recent UN review.
Security officers had already arrested a Mada Masr Editor Shady Zalat in the early hours of Saturday morning from his home, who has now been released.
After speaking to multiple sources, on 20 November
Mada Masr published an article detailing how President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s son had been assigned a long-term position in Moscow due to his failure to handle the media and the storm over Egyptian whistleblower Mohamed Ali.
The European Union has said that media freedoms in Egypt are declining and that local authorities should allow “journalists to work without fear”.
Egypt is currently ranked 163 in the Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index and is now one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists.

Albert Echetah

Recent Posts

Pastef party led by Ousmane Sonko wins historic election victory

Senegal's ruling Pastef party has won a resounding victory in the legislative elections, taking130 of the 165 seats in parliament,…

November 22, 2024

Famine Risk Reaches Critical Levels as FoodCrisis Deepens In Gaza

Gaza’s hunger crisis is not only statistic, but a set of narratives such as Yasmin Eid, amother of six, who…

November 22, 2024

Kenya Launches Official Probe intoUgandan Leader’s Alleged Kidnapping

The government of Kenya announced that it is looking into the suspected kidnapping ofKizza Besigye, a well-known opposition politician from…

November 22, 2024

At least 7 members of the Nigerian security forces are missing after insurgentsambushed their convoy

A team of 80 security agents tasked with protecting the electricity grid was ambushed onMonday in Shiroro, Niger State, by…

November 21, 2024

Cryptocurrency Gains Momentum inAfrica Amid Global Shifts in Trump’sElection

Cryptocurrency becomes the new thing in Africa. People shift for stable alternatives aftertheir unstable local currencies. Many people believe Donald…

November 21, 2024

UAE Delivers Lifeline: 30,000 Food BasketsBring Hope to Sudanese Refugees in Uganda

UAE has also distributed 30,000 food baskets to Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo refugeecamp Uganda to benefit nearly 100,000 affected people.Aid…

November 21, 2024

This website uses cookies.