After their sentencing last month, Egypt summoned the British ambassador to Cairo for criticising the ruling. You also said that the aim of the new Egyptian constitution was to “build a better today and a brighter tomorrow”. It did point out that none of those killings had occurred since el-Sisi had taken office.
Advertisement
Almost two years after his arrest in Egypt on widely denounced terrorism charges, Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy walked out of prison Wednesday following a presidential pardon. Journalists often face accusations of “tarnishing Egypt’s image” in the course of their reporting, but the truth is that nothing has hurt Egypt’s image as deeply as the government’s actions to quash all forms of criticism.
The New York-based CPJ said in June that the state’s imprisonment of journalists is at “an all-time high”. In August, Sisi denied that any journalists are detained in cases related to publishing or press freedom.
Yet, Egypt denies that it is targeting journalists due to their work. Several of those in jail have reported mistreatment, abuse, and disgusting conditions in prison, according to their letters and their families. “I love this place with all the hot and sour politics that come with it. I have no issues right now other than getting my Egyptian citizenship back”.
Fahmy’s long-running legal saga has drawn attention from around the world ever since he and two colleagues were arrested in December 2013 while working for satellite news broadcaster Al Jazeera English. Shawkan has been diagnosed with hepatitis C, and his health is deteriorating in prison.
Advertisement
Speaking to military studies students last week, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi warned them about “dangerous information” and psychological war. The sentence was reduced to three years amid a global uproar. “Campaigning does work and this day would not have been achieved without you”. “I will continue fighting to get at least little victories to a real true free press”. Bassem Youssef, who received CPJ’s worldwide Press Freedom Award in 2013, is an Egyptian satirist who regularly commented on current events in one of the region’s most popular TV shows. The journalists were among the 100 prisoners ordered released from Egyptian prison later today under the order.
