Ikshef Report on Egypt’s Violations against Media Freedom on October 2016

* 119 violations notably raiding headquarters of newspapers

* The largest case involving 65 journalists and media activists, charged of spreading false news and inciting demonstrations of November 11

* Continuation of enforced disappearance of some of the detainees, and new imprisonments

London – November 8, 2016

(Ikshef) – October 2016 has witnessed a new fierce attack on the press and journalists, where a record of violations against press amounted to 119 cases compared to 71 in September and 63 in August and 69 in July.

During this month, the biggest case of arresting journalists, media workers and activists was unveiled. It  includes 65 names among them 8 members of the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate in the case No. 10383 for the year 2016. The charges against journalists are spreading false news that harm national security, inciting demonstrations of November 11, 2016 (what is known as Revolution of the Poor), belonging to an outlawed group and trying to overthrow the government.

Uncovering this case with this large number of defendants has caused a big shock to journalists, after the shock of the ruling of the famous executions for five journalists in May 2016. What makes it stranger is that a number of those named in the case are forcibly disappeared , others detained or abroad. Houses of those who are still in Egypt were raided, but they were not there, among them is Amr Gamal of Mubasher Misr news network and Samah Ibrahim of Freedom and Justice newspaper. Names of the defendants will be posted in a separate list in the end of this report

In terms of arrests, raids and forced disappearances, the crackdown continued during October with cases where three journalists were datained, also, homes of several journalists included in the list of the above mentioned case were raided. Moreover, police have raided a number of press and media offices during the second half of October for allegedly affiliation to the Muslim Brotherhood or for allegedly inciting the demonstrations on November 11. These outlets include Al-Khamis, Al-Bayan and Al-Tareeq newspapers, Qessa online website, Media House Egypt company, White Media company, Naqd network and Fekra for Advertizingand the location of the story and the headquarters of Media House Aajept- company headquarters White Media – network cash and firm idea of Advertising.

October also witnessed the the forcebly disappearance of journalist Hamdi Abdul-Aziz of Zoom News website up to the date of writing this report, knowing that he has been detained from his home on October 27. On the other hand,  threre were three releases: Mahmoud Sakka of Yanair online portal who was detained last May, Ahmed Bayoumi of Hekaya newspaper after being detained for several months, and journalist Khaled Mokhtar Abdul-Latif admin of Facebook page Tammat Al-Targama or “Translated”

October also saw 14 violations within the prison, on top of which the suffering of journalist Samhi Mostafa inside the hospital of Liman Tora prison, which he has expressed in a leaked letter describing the suffering he and the rest of the prisoners face as a result of huge negligence within the prison hospital, and not conducting emergency surgeries for prisoners, such as heart and eye operations and tumors removal.

Also, journalists Hamdi Al-Zaeem, Mohamed Hassan and Osama Al-Beshbeshi tortured with electric shocks and beatings in an attempt to extract confessions by force in Qasr Al-Nil police station, according to their lawyer, which was confirmed by a leaked message by Al-Zaeem. Moreover, the sufferings of journalists Hisham Jaafar and Hani Salahuddin continued, without conducting much-needed surgeries for them.

The suffering of the families of detained journalists continued, the most prominent of these cases is what has happened in Aya Alaa wife journalist Hassan Al-Kabbani of the denial of the visit because her remarks about her husband’s sufferings for an organizations.

As for trials and communications in October, there have been 50 cases, among therm is the largest press case in the history of the Egyptian press. Public prosecutors issued a decision to arrest 65 journalists working in newspapers, websites and TV channels, beside some media workers in media production companies. They are cahrged in case No. 10383 for the year 2016 of spreading false news, belonging to an outlawed group, seeking to overthrow the government and inciting demonstrations in the November 11, 2016. It has includeded a number of names, including eight members of Egyptian journalists’ Syndicate.

October has witnessed 22 cases of prevention of coverage, most notably was Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal’s prevention of journalist Rana Mamdouh of Al-Maqal newspaper from entering the parliament to do her job as parliamentary editor. Separately,  a number of journalists accused, Major General Magdy Hegazy Governor of Aswan of disrupting their journalistic work. They reported it EJS head. They added that Hegazy does not invite them to the activities of the province. The same charge has been indicted for the media adviser to the Ministry of Health due to intransigence with journalists. This as well as what security forces, guards and some people do in the context of prevention of coverage

Regarding prevent publication, October witnessed prevention of four articles at once, two of them in Al-Ahram newspaper one of Osama El-Ghazali Harb and the other of Sanaa Al-Bisi; and another two articles in Al-Masri Al-Youm newspaper, one by Suliaman Al-Hakim and the other by Nour Al-Huda Zaki.

As for layoffs, the Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper has relocated a number of journalists from the newspaper’s headquarters in Cairo to its office in Alexandria. Journalists refused, and problem has been settled by EJS and they stayed where they are.

Al-Nahar satelite channel, broadcast from Media Production City in Cairo, fired journalists Faten Zakaria who are the producer of Al-Youm Fi Sa`a “Today in an Hour”.  TV host Amr Al-Lessi was forced to not to appear in his program Wahed min Al-Nas “A Layman”. This has come after the broadcast of a video clip of a rickshaw driver criticizing the authorities.  Also, TV presenter Rania Badawi of ON TV channel was stopped for criticizing a minister.

Gag orders continued during October. It has witnessed two cases: the State Council’s decision to ban the appearance of its members on media outlets, as well as social networking sites; The second case was related to the Ministry of Education, as the ministry’s Qalyoubia undersecretary, Taha Aglan, issued a decree banning department managers from making statements to the press without his approval.

Also, October has witnessed 7 cases of stopping of programs and satellite channels. It can be said that this month saw a massacre of programs and TV presenters, where many of them were stopped, including Amr Al-Lessi of Al-Hayat channel under the pretext of having a holiday; presenter Mona Shoker of the Egyptian television; Moataz Al-Demerdash submitting his resignation because of preventing his radio interview with the former head of the Central Accounting Authority channel on Mehwar channel;  Al-Arabiya TV channel closed its office in Cairo, and fired a number of its employees in order to reduce cost.

TV hosts Moataz Matar, Mohammad Naser and Hamza Zobaa and 7 others were referred to criminal trial for the promotion of ideas and beliefs calling for terrorism. The ruling for the case of EJS’ head, Yahya Qallash, and his collegues Gama Abdel-Rahim and Khaled Al-Balshi to be announced on November 19. This is as well as the renewal of pre-trial detention of several previously detained journalists, beside those who were recently arrested.

Also, October has witnessed 9 physical attacks against journalists, and perhaps the biggest raids on headquarters of newspaper and websites. This included both the Al-Khamis and Al-Bayan newspapers and Al-Tareeq website, in addition to other websites within the case no. 10383. Doors and desks were destroyed, devices including those of editor-in-chief were seized, and journalists were held and prevented from talking on their phones.

Below is an updated list of detained journalists in Egypt till Oct 31, 2016 (98 Journalists):

1. Nabil Al-Ashri, editor of Mubasher website
2. Mohammed Al-Shaer, of Mubasher website
3. Mohammed Salah Sharar, Qatari Al-Watan
4. Hamdi Abdul-Aziz (Zoomnews)
5. Hamdi Al-Zaaem (Al-Hayat)
6. Mohammed Hassan (Al-Nabaa Al-Watani)
7. Osama Al-Beshbeshi (Baladi website)
8. Mohammed Haz (Freelance journalist)
9. Omar Adel (Zoom News website)
10. Magdi Ahmed Hussein (Editor of Al-Shaab Al-Jadeed)
11. Hani Salah Al-Din (Managing editor of Youm7)
12. Hisham Jaafar (MADA)
13. Ismail Al-Iskandrani (Freelance journalist)
14. Mohammed Al-jenidi (Freelance journalist)
15. Islam Al-Beheiri (Youm7)
16. Ahmed Naji (Akhbar Al-Adab)
17. Ahmed Sebaie (Head of Al-Aqsa TV office in Egypt)
18. Hassan Al-Qabbani (Al-Karama newspaper)
19. Mohammed Saber Al-Batawi (Al-Akhbar)
20. Ibrahim Al-Dadrawi (Al-Qawmiya for distribution)
21. Mohsen Radi (Al-Dawa)
22. Said Abu Haj (Sinai Media Center)
23. Amr Al-Khafif (Former director of broadcast engineering in ERTU)
24. Imad Abu Zaid (Al-Ahram)
25. Mohammed Abossoul (Akhbar Al-Youm)
26. Abdo Desuqi (Ikhwanweb)
27. Mohammed Ibrahim Shukri (Al-Omma TV channel)
28. Walid Shalabi (Ikhwan Online)
29. Yusuf Talat (Al-Sabab TV channel)
30. Mahmoud Mostafa Saad (Alnahar newspaper)
31. Ammar Abdul Majid (Al-Hadath website)
32. Sabri Anwar (Elbadil newspaper)
33. Ahmed Bayoumi (Dardasha newspaper)
34. Samhi Mostafa (Rassd network)
35. Mohamed Salah (Journalist, Al-Shaab Al-Jadeed)
36. Ibrahim Suleiman (5^thTV channel – National TV)
37. Omar Abdul-Maksoud (Masralarabia.com)
38. Mahmoud Abu Zeid, (aka Shawkan) (Demotix photo agency)
39. Bakri Abdul-Aal (Al-Raya newspaper)
40. Mohammed Al-Saeed Al-Dashti (Al-Mashhad newspaper)
41. Abdul-Rahman Shahin (Freedom and justice newspaper – Aljazeera TV channel)
42. Mohammed Madani (Misr 25 TV channel)
43. Musaad Al-Barbari (Director Ahrar 25 TV channel)
44. Khaled Hamdi (Misr 25 TV channel)
45. Khaled Abdul-Aziz (Misr 25 TV channel)
46. Jamal Al-Alem (Misr 25 TV channel)
47. Mosaab Hamed (Misr 25 TV channel)
48. Osama Ezzuddin (Misr 25 TV channel)
49. Mohammad Al-Adli (Amjad TV channel)
50. Abdullah Al-Fakharani (Rassd network)
51. Moataz Mostafa Shahin (Freedom and Justice newspaper)
52. Mohamed Salah Sowaidan (Freelance photographer)
53. Mahmoud Abdul-Nabi Awad (Rassd network)
54. Ibrahim Abdul-Nabi Awad (Rassd network)
55. Khalid Abdul-Rauf Sahlob (Rassd network)
56. Khaled Hamza (Managing editor of IkhwanWeb)
57. Sayed Musa (Amjad TV channel)
58. Karim Mostafa Al-Sayed (Al-Shabab TV channel)
59. Mohammed Ezzat (Ikhwan Online)
60. Abdullah Shousha (Amjad TV channel)
61. Ahmed Lashin (Misr 25 TV channel)
62. Ahmed Fouad Mohamed Al-Sayed (Karmoz website)
63. Shadi Abdul-Hamid (Freelance correspondent)
64. Suhaib Saad Al-Haddad (Freelance correspondent, Aljazeera)
65. Khalid Mohammed Abdul-Rahman (Freelance correspondent, Aljazeera)
66. Wael Al-Heddini (Freelance correspondent)
67. Mohammed Mamoun Abu Shousha (Ahrar 25 TV channel)
68. Ibrahim Talha (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
69. Mahmoud Jamal Ali Othman (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
70. Mohyi Qasem Mohammed Abdul-Jawwad (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
71. Mohammed Mostafa Abdul-Nasser Abdul-Qadir (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
72. Ahmed Muharram Abdul-Salam (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
73. Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Salam Yaqout (Freelance reporter)
74. Sameh Mohammed Ahmed Bakri (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
75. Abdullah Jamal Moftah (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
76. Ammar Samir Abdul-Ghani Ahmad (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
77. Ahmed Khamis Mahmoud Kheder (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
78. Belal Abdullah Ahmad (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
79. Abdul-Rahman Hassan Abdul-Hafiz (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
80. Ahmed Khamis Anwar Abdul-Qawi (Stringer for satellite TV channels
81. Osama Hashem Mohammed Hashem (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
82. Mohamed Hossamuddin Abdul-Halim Al-Kafrawi (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
83. Omar Mohamed Mabrouk Al-Sawi (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
84. Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al-Najjar (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
85. Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Shehata (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
86. Islam Gomaa (Misr 25 TV channel)
87. Ahmed Hamouda Al-Sakhawi (Misr newspaper)
88. Ahmed Al-Mansi (Shabab News website)
89. Mahmoud Abdul-Latif (Shabab News website)
90. Ibrahim Samir (Freelance correspondent)
91. Islam Al-Banna (Freelance correspondent)
92. Islam Atef (Al-Omma website)
93. Ahmed Abu Khabeer (Al-Omma website)
94. Ahmed Maher Ali (Freelance correspondent)
95. Assem Abdul-Fattah (Al-Omma website)
96. Omar Khedr (Rassd network)
97. Omar Mabrouk (Freelance journalist)
98. Mahmoud Yahia (Al-Omma TV channel)

Names of journalists and media persons in case no. 10383 for the year 2016:

1. Ahmed Kamal Othman
2. Amr Gamal Hassan
3. Hany Fateh Ahmed Hassan
4. Mostafa Mohamed Mostafa Ibrahim
5. Mahmoud Abdul-Raouf Abdul-Nabi
6. Said Ahmad Mohammad Abbasi
7. Said Mahmoud Al-Sayed Afifi
8. Hesham Seraguddin Ismail
9. Qotb Abdul-Rahman Gad Al-Araby
10. Saber Abdul-Latif Abdul-Maksoud
11. Hossam Wahba Mohamed Morsi
12. Mostafa Saleh Ali Ali
13. Osama Ahmed Abdul-Hakim
14. Yasser Hassan Ahmed
15. Ramadan Gweideh Shehata Wahdan
16. Osama Abdul-Rahim Hussein
17. Samah Ibrahim Ali Darwish
18. Hani Yousef Gaber
19. Ammar Mohammed Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Beltagy
20. Yasser Abdul-Halim Ahmed Abdul-Hafiz
21. Ahmed Said Yusuf
22. Mohamed Mahmoud Mohamed El-Sayed
23. Tarek Hassanein Ashour
24. Sohaib Tariq Abdul-Wahab
25. Abdul-Rahman Ahmad Ahmad Genaidi
26. Ahmed Tariq Abdul-Wahab
27. Oyoun Yahya Abdul-Karim
28. Mohamed Haz Mohamed Khalifa
29. Mahmoud Fathi Al-Ebyari
30. Miqdad Ahmed Mohammed Abdul-Badie
31. Islam Al-Shahhat Ragab
32. Alaa Abdul-Alim Abdul-Alim
33. Mostafa Mahmoud Ahmed Gad
34. Mostafa Mahmoud Mostafa
35. Mohamed Mostafa Hamed Salman
36. Sarah Mahmoud Gab-Allah
37. Adel Hamed Sulaiman Al-Haggar
38. Asmaa Alaa Hosni
39. Hussein Mohammed Amin Abul-Leef
40. Mahmoud Sami Eid
41. Ahmed Abdul-Fattah Yusuf
42. Khaled Mamdouh Hassan
43. Abdul-Rahman Sulaiman Matar
44. Shaimaa Abdullah Abd-Rabbo
45. Ahmad Abdul-Gawwad Hamid
46. Amr Mohamed El-Sayed Abdul-Baqi
47. Ahmed Mohamed Fouad Nile
48. Mohamed Farag Ibrahim Hassan
49. Osama Taha Abdul-Hamid
50. Mohamed Ibrahim Abul-Magd
51. Hany Attiya Mohamed Mahmoud
52. Reda Abdullah Abdul-Wadood
53. Yaser Sayed Ahmed Abul-Ela
54. Mohamed Gamal Mohamed Mohamed Arafa
55. Ahmed Al-Bara Abul-Ela
56. Ahmed Mohamed Ela
57. Ahmad Mohamed Mansi
58. Abu-Bakr Mohammad Ali Abul-Magd
59. Waleed Mostafa Gaber
60. Mohamed Attiya Ahmed Attiya
61. Mahmoud Bahieddin Metawea
62. Ahmad Al-Rifai Ahmed Al-Feqi
63. Ibrahim Mamdouh Desuqi
64. Baher Abdul-Wahab Abdul-Rahman
65. Abdul-Rahman Ali Mahmoud Ali Fatehelbab