"Narrative Summit" Releases 2025 Recommendations to Cement Egypt's Position as a Global Tourism Destination    Egypt, S.Arabia step up trade ties through coordination council talks    Egypt reviews progress on $200m World Bank-funded waste management hub    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    SCZONE, Tokyo Metropolitan Government sign MoU on green hydrogen cooperation    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



CPJ calls for release of Yanair Gate journalist detained by Egyptian National Security
Dozens of journalists have been subject to violations ahead of anniversary of 25 January
Published in Daily News Egypt on 06 - 01 - 2016

International press-freedom watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for the immediate release of Yanair Gate journalist Mahmoud Al-Sakka in an official statement Tuesday.
Al-Sakka was arrested in Mohandesen on Thursday night and was taken to the Dokki police station. The National Security Apparatus detained Al-Sakka for 72 hours without disclosing his location before the prosecutor issued a detention order of 15 days pending further investigations.
"In its ongoing attempts to control the press and terrify the opposition, the Egyptian government showed total disregard for its own laws and processes", CPJ's MENA programme coordinator Sherif Mansour said. "We call on Egyptian authorities to immediately release Mahmoud Al-Sakka and to stop harassing and imprisoning journalists."
Al-Sakka's defence lawyer, Doaa Mustafa, told Yanair his charges relate to the state's allegation that Al-Akka belongs to an illegal group called the Youth of 25 January. Mustafa alleged that Al-Sakka had been tortured and severely beaten during interrogating.
Al-Sakka studies agriculture at Benha University and the detention will cause him to miss his final exams. Mustafa said Tuesday that she will send an appeal to the prosecution to allow him to have his exams.
Meanwhile, Yanair Gate calls on fellow journalists to tweet about Al-Sakka on 10 January in a bid to support press freedom.
Immediately before his arrest, Al-Sakka wrote an editorial article wherein he criticised the latest parliamentary elections, its surrounding settings of oppression, and the Egyptian state's alleged killings of Egyptian cilivians. He also described the current regime as "illegitimate".
During his interrogation, Al-Sakka was threatened with enforced disappearance and being made to confess to charges of inciting riots and having committed violent crimes, Mustafa told Yanayir.
Al-Sakka also mentioned he was member of the Tamarod movement and took part in the presidential campaign of former candidate Hamdeen Sabahy.
The Press Syndicate sent a memorandum to the general prosecutor calling for Al-Sakka's release, appealing to constitutional articles 41, 57 in addition to Article 40 of the penal code that guarantee personal freedoms and prohibit violence against defendants.
The arrest comes amid heightened security ahead of the anniversary of the 25 January Revolution which has included raids on Townhouse Gallery and Merritt Publishing House in addition to an increase in reports of arrests.
Mohamed Abdel Moneim, a journalist for Tahya Misr website, was sentenced to three years in prison on Sunday on charges of participating in an unlicenced protest that took place last April in Dar El-Salam.
Abdel Moneim has been in custody since his arrest at the protest.
The CEO of Tahya Misr website, Amr Serag, was summoned for testimony at court where he denied the alleged political affiliations of Abdel Moneim and said he was on an assignment to cover the protest. Nevertheless, the court decided to sentence him, citing Abdel Moneim's lack of press syndicate membership, the only accreditation that registers print journalists.
Al-Sakka and Abdel Moneim are among 60 other journalists who have been subject to violations in December.
Local observatory group, Journalists Against Torture (JATO), stated in its December census report that it had monitored 34 incidents where journalists were banned from covering an event or the content of their cameras had been deleted. In addition, there were seven recorded cases in which journalists were verbally harassed by government security forces, six cases in which journalists faced litigation, four cases in which journalists had been subject to beating, three cases in which journalists faced punitive fines, three cases of detention, one case in which press equipment had been damaged, one case in which a journalist received was sentenced to prison in absentia, and one incident in which a journalist was arrested.


Clic here to read the story from its source.