The Front for the Defense of Journalists and Liberties condemned the arrest of journalist Hani Salahuddin and his imprisonment for 15 days on trumped-up charges against the backdrop of a fabricated news published by Sout Al-Omma newspaper -owned by businessman Ahmed Abu-Hashima who has close ties with ruling regime and is the owner of Youm7 newspaper and website – over his alleged incite to stage a demonstration, an allegation the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate has denied in an official statement.
FDJ noted in a statement that what happened to Salahuddin comes at the backdrop of his asking for his rights in Youm7 newspaper, after he was imprisoned for more than 3 years on a false charge that he was acquitted of. This constitutes a dangerous precedent, which reflects some newspapers turning into security platforms to settle accounts with opponents and rights’ seekers, in a full exchange of benefits and positions between the press and the security services.
FDJ called on journalists to face the attempts to nationalize the press and subject it to the security grip, and called on the EJS to activate the Press Charter of Honor and open an extensive investigation against the violators of journalists’ rights in Youm7 and those who are responsible for the fake article in Sout Al-Omma that led to the arrest of Salahuddin.
