Egypt jailed 44 journalists in first half of 2014, says report

Security forces detained 44 journalists in the first half of 2014 alone, according a report released Wednesday by the Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE).

In the same period, print publications were banned from going to press on at least 43 occasions due to content critical of the government, and journalists covering clashes between police and protesters were violently assaulted at least 107 times, the report said. The researchers also documented six raids on the homes and offices of journalists in the first six months of 2014.

The study, “Has journalism become a crime in Egypt? A report on the conditions of detained journalists,” details nine separate cases of journalists now in jail pending investigations into criminal charges, or who have been convicted and are now serving their sentences.

The journalists discussed in the report include the Yaqeen Network’s Ahmed Gamal Zyada, who was recently referred to court on terrorism charges along with a group of Al-Azhar University students; freelance photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid, popularly known as Shawkan; and Ahmed Fouad, a reporter for Alexandria-based website Karmouz.

Other high-profile cases include the three journalists who were jailed while working for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera English satellite channel, including Egyptian-Canadian bureau chief Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, Australian correspondent Peter Greste and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed. The three men were found guilty of joining a terrorist organization and distributing false news, and are now serving sentences ranging from seven to 10 years in prison.

Two journalists working for Rassd News Network, Samhy Mostafa and Abdullah al-Fakharany, are also currently in detention, as well as Mohamed al-Adly, a presenter on the Islamist Amjad Channel. These three journalists were detained in the “Rabea operations room” case.

Journalist Houssieni Sobhy, who works for the Horeyetna online radio channel, has also been in custody for the past seven months.

All of the journalists listed in the AFTE report were arrested in the course of their work, but they face charges unrelated to their profession, such as protesting without permission, murder, attempted murder, violence, terrorism, joining a terrorist organization and spreading false news.

AFTE accused the Egyptian government of violating constitutional articles and international commitments meant to guarantee press freedoms and the freedom of thought, expression and assembly.

The rights organization recommended the immediate release of all detained journalists, whether they’re held pending investigations or have already been convicted, as a first step to improve the environment for media workers in Egypt. AFTE also demanded a swift investigation into alleged violations security forces have committed against detained journalists.

Furthermore, the Journalists Syndicate must amend its bylaws to grant a wider umbrella for freelance journalists to join and enjoy its legal protection, AFTE argued.

“The animosity against journalists has been on the rise through a political discourse focusing primarily on confronting principles of freedom of the press and accusing journalists of being not professional,” AFTE wrote, “as well as making them pay the price of the escalating violence between protesters and security forces.”