106 violations in November, most notably layoffs and prevention of coverage
96 is currently imprisoned, other temporarily detained, and three releases
Biggest threat against press industry in November because of rising prices besbb
An attempt to circumvent the provisions of freedom of the press in the constitution through the draft of media law
London – December 7, 2016
(Ikshef) – November 2016 has witnessed continuation of violations against media freedom with 106 violations. This means the authorities continue cracking down on journalists, as violations are not much less than 119 violations in October. These violations were four cases of imprisonment and temporary detention, 12 violations in prisons and detention centers, 61 trials and reports, 8 physical attacks, 14 cases of prevention of coverage, four cases of termination, one case of ban of publication, one case of a travel ban and another to prevent the publication of an article.
Also, November witnessed another danger and threat represented this time in threatening press industry as a whole. This followed floating of the Egyptian pound and falling against the dollar which led to very high prices, which reflected negatively on the press industry, the prices of paper, inks, printing and others. This forced state-owned printing presses to raise the cost of printing of private and political newspapers. Al-Ahram Foundation notified these newspapers that printing prices are up 80%.
There is also a tendency to double newspaper prices for daily newspapers which would directly affect the distribution of these newspapers and thus the gradual decline in the printing of newspapers until stopping some publications and to prevent their issuance. This leads to another risk which is the layoff of a large number of journalists working for these newspapers.
Signs of this trend has started in some newspapers that fired journalists under the pretext of political orientation sometimes or lack of financial ability at other times as happed in Youm7, Al-Shorouk and Al-Fajr newspapers, or forcing journalists to work outside their normal workplace as Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, which caused journalists to reject the decision and the held a sit-in at the headquarters of the newspaper in Cairo.
Imprisonment and temporary detention: (4 cases)
November witnessed a new case of jailing which brings the number of journalists and media workers currently imprisoned to 96 journalists after the release of the three journalists by presidential pardon. November witnessed three cases of temporary detention. Abdel-Rahman Taher, a journalist of “Sahm News” was arrested while covering 11-11 demonstrations in Giza. Three others were covering the same event were arrested then released after several hours. They are Karima Hassan of Al-Masry Al-Youm, photographer Hisham Mohammed of Al-Watan, and Ahmad Lotfi of Masrawy website.
November also saw the release of three journalists as a part of presidential pardon. They are TV host Islam Al-Beheiri, photographer Mohamed Salah of Al-Shaab newspaper, and Abdul-Aziz Mahmoud Abdul-Aziz, a freelance journalist.
Abuses inside prisons: 12 cases
Total reported cases of abuses inside prisons are 12 during November, most notably the sharp deterioration in the health condition of journalist Magdi Hussein, editor of Al-Shaab newspaper inside his cell in Tora prison where he is suffering from a severe inflammation of the cornea in both eyes with a severe lack of vision, and also suffers from continuous spine pains. Also, there was a direct death threat received by Yusuf Talaat producer of Al-Shabab channel if he does not end an open hunger strike he has been declared in protest at the ill-treatment. This is as well as abuses against Hamdi Al-Zaeem, Mohammed Hassan and Osama Al-Beshebeshi and ill-treatment concerning food, clothing or health. Moreover, there are the ongoing suffering of Mohammed Al-Adli, Mahmoud Abdul-Nabi and Samhi Mostafa of ill-treatment and deprivation of going to the hospital or solitary confinement and ill- treatment against loved ones during visits.
Trials and complaints: 61 cases
November witnessed 60 trials and communications, most notably the ruling to imprison head of Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate Yahya Qallash, EJS general secretary Gamal Abdel-Rahim, Qallash’s deputy Khaled Al-Balshi, to two years in jail and fining each of them 10 thousand pounds (about 500 $), to stop the imprisoning them.
This is beside the ruling to imprison TV host Moataz Matar of Al-Sharq TV channel for three years in jail in case No. 9609 for the year 2016 on charges of inciting protests against state institutions, and the promotion of rumors through his program.
Also, Administrative Court postponed considering the lawsuit suit filed by lawyer Samir Sabri on charges of incitement against the state for the session December 25 for the next argument. Sabri demands revocation of citizenship for five of the journalists and media workers. They are Wael Qandil former managing editor of Shorouk newspaper, Salem Al-Mahrooqi former journalist of Al-Osboua newspaper and currently TV host in Al-Jazeera, Mohammed Al-koddosi journalist of Al-Shaab newspaper, media worker Mohamed Maher Akl, and Al-Jazeera media host Zine El Abidin Tawfiq.
This is in addition to the usual trials and communications and the adjourning of a number of cases especially of newspapers of Dostor, Sout Al-Omma and other cases.
Physical attacks: 8 cases
Total cases of physical assault during November were 8 cases most notably against crew of Mahamma Khassa “special mission” program, broadcast on Al-Hayat 2 TV station who were assaulted with white arms while covering factories, which produce and manufacture sweets illegally.
November also saw attacks by guards of the ministries and facilities, including by the security Cairo Festival assaulting journalists from Youm7 as well as by guards of World Song Festival Cup on journalists assigned to cover the festival.
Prevention of coverage: 14 cases
November witnessed14 cases of prevention of coverage, most notably to prevent journalists from covering 11/11 demonstrations. Also, government officials, including the governor of Aswan Magdy Hegazy, prevented journalists from covering a provincial meeting. This is in addition to security officials of bodies and institutions, but the biggest number was in courts where they prevented journalists from covering several trials, most notably the trial of EJS leaders.
Layoffs: 4 cases
Floating Egyptian pound forced state-owned printing presses to raise the cost of printing of private and political newspapers. Al-Ahram Foundation notified these newspapers that printing prices are up 80%.
There is also a tendency to double newspaper prices for daily newspapers which would directly affect the distribution of these newspapers and thus the gradual decline in the printing of newspapers until stopping some publications and to prevent their issuance. This leads to the risk of the layoff of a large number of journalists.
Signs of this trend has started in some newspapers that fired journalists under the pretext of political orientation sometimes or lack of financial ability at other times as happed in Youm7, Al-Shorouk and Al-Fajr newspapers, or forcing journalists to work outside their normal workplace as Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, which caused journalists to reject the decision and the held a sit-in at the headquarters of the newspaper in Cairo.
Banning one article:
November saw a case of preventing of writing by Al-Ahram newspaper by deleting paragraphs of an article by journalist Karem Yehia of his biweekly article on November 8, in which he criticized the current regime. November also witnessed the closure of the program, and an incitement by MB and journalist Mostafa Bakri to the closure Reuters news agency in Egypt.
Media gag:
November witnessed on media gag related to a case involving a lawyer and a secretary accused of fabricating legal rulings.
Travel ban: 1 case:
Amr Al-Lithi TV host of Wahed Men Al-Nass “Layman” of Al-Hayat TV station was banned from travel along with his family while heading to UAE.
Below is an updated list of detained journalists in Egypt till Nov. 30, 2016 (96 Journalists):
- Nabil Al-Ashri, editor of Mubasher website
- Mohammed Al-Shaer, of Mubasher website
- Mohammed Salah Sharar, Qatari Al-Watan
- Hamdi Abdul-Aziz (Zoomnews)
- Hamdi Al-Zaaem (Al-Hayat)
- Mohammed Hassan (Al-Nabaa Al-Watani)
- Osama Al-Beshbeshi (Baladi website)
- Mohammed Haz (Freelance journalist)
- Omar Adel (Zoom News website)
- Magdi Ahmed Hussein (Editor of Al-Shaab Al-Jadeed)
- Hani Salah Al-Din (Managing editor of Youm7)
- Hisham Jaafar (MADA)
- Ismail Al-Iskandrani (Freelance journalist)
- Mohammed Al-jenidi (Freelance journalist)
- Abdul-Rahman Taher (Al-Sahm News website)
- Ahmed Naji (Akhbar Al-Adab)
- Ahmed Sebaie (Head of Al-Aqsa TV office in Egypt)
- Hassan Al-Qabbani (Al-Karama newspaper)
- Mohammed Saber Al-Batawi (Al-Akhbar)
- Ibrahim Al-Dadrawi (Al-Qawmiya for distribution)
- Mohsen Radi (Al-Dawa)
- Said Abu Haj (Sinai Media Center)
- Amr Al-Khafif (Former director of broadcast engineering in ERTU)
- Emad Abu Zaid (Al-Ahram)
- Mohammed Abossoul (Akhbar Al-Youm)
- Abdo Desuqi (Ikhwanweb)
- Mohammed Ibrahim Shukri (Al-Omma TV channel)
- Walid Shalabi (Ikhwan Online)
- Yusuf Talat (Al-Sabab TV channel)
- Mahmoud Mostafa Saad (Alnahar newspaper)
- Ammar Abdul Majid (Al-Hadath website)
- Sabri Anwar (Elbadil newspaper)
- Samhi Mostafa (Rassd network)
- Ibrahim Suleiman (5thTV channel – National TV)
- Omar Abdul-Maksoud (Masralarabia.com)
- Mahmoud Abu Zeid, (aka Shawkan) (Demotix photo agency)
- Bakri Abdul-Aal (Al-Raya newspaper)
- Mohammed Al-Saeed Al-Dashti (Al-Mashhad newspaper)
- Abdul-Rahman Shahin (Freedom and justice newspaper – Aljazeera TV channel)
- Mohammed Salah Madani (Misr 25 TV channel)
- Musaad Al-Barbari (Director Ahrar 25 TV channel)
- Khaled Hamdi (Misr 25 TV channel)
- Khaled Abdul-Aziz (Misr 25 TV channel)
- Jamal Al-Alem (Misr 25 TV channel)
- Mosaab Hamed (Misr 25 TV channel)
- Osama Ezzuddin (Misr 25 TV channel)
- Mohammad Al-Adli (Amjad TV channel)
- Abdullah Al-Fakharani (Rassd network)
- Moataz Mostafa Shahin (Freedom and Justice newspaper)
- Mohamed Salah Sowaidan (Freelance photographer)
- Mahmoud Abdul-Nabi Awad (Rassd network)
- Ibrahim Abdul-Nabi Awad (Rassd network)
- Khalid Abdul-Rauf Sahlob (Rassd network)
- Khaled Hamza (Managing editor of IkhwanWeb)
- Sayed Musa (Amjad TV channel)
- Karim Mostafa Al-Sayed (Al-Shabab TV channel)
- Mohammed Ezzat (Ikhwan Online)
- Abdullah Shousha (Amjad TV channel)
- Ahmed Lashin (Misr 25 TV channel)
- Ahmed Fouad Mohamed Al-Sayed (Karmoz website)
- Shadi Abdul-Hamid (Freelance correspondent)
- Suhaib Saad Al-Haddad (Freelance correspondent, Aljazeera)
- Khalid Mohammed Abdul-Rahman (Freelance correspondent, Aljazeera)
- Wael Al-Heddini (Freelance correspondent)
- Mohammed Mamoun Abu Shousha (Ahrar 25 TV channel)
- Ibrahim Talha (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Mahmoud Jamal Ali Othman (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Mohyi Qasem Mohammed Abdul-Jawwad (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Mohammed Mostafa Abdul-Nasser Abdul-Qadir (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Ahmed Muharram Abdul-Salam (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Salam Yaqout (Freelance reporter)
- Sameh Mohammed Ahmed Bakri (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Abdullah Jamal Moftah (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Ammar Samir Abdul-Ghani Ahmad (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Ahmed Khamis Mahmoud Kheder (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Belal Abdullah Ahmad (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Abdul-Rahman Hassan Abdul-Hafiz (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Ahmed Khamis Anwar Abdul-Qawi (Stringer for satellite TV channels
- Osama Hashem Mohammed Hashem (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Mohamed Hossamuddin Abdul-Halim Al-Kafrawi (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Omar Mohamed Mabrouk Al-Sawi (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al-Najjar (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Shehata (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
- Islam Gomaa (Misr 25 TV channel)
- Ahmed Hamouda Al-Sakhawi (Misr newspaper)
- Ahmed Al-Mansi (Shabab News website)
- Mahmoud Abdul-Latif (Shabab News website)
- Ibrahim Samir (Freelance correspondent)
- Islam Al-Banna (Freelance correspondent)
- Islam Atef (Al-Omma website)
- Ahmed Abu Khabeer (Al-Omma website)
- Ahmed Maher Ali (Freelance correspondent)
- Assem Abdul-Fattah (Al-Omma website)
- Omar Khedr (Rassd network)
- Omar Mabrouk (Freelance journalist)
- Mahmoud Yahia (Al-Omma TV channel)
