Ikshef’s Report on Egypt’s Violations against Media Freedoms in March 2017

91 violations

4 more prisoners make number of jailed journalists 97

London –April 5, 2017

Ikshef – Violations against media increased again in March 2017 and hit 91 violations compared to 77 in February 2017. Number of jailed journalists increased to 97 prisoners, meaning fading of any hopes for improving conditions of press and journalists in Egypt as systematic violations continue the same way as they have been since July 3, 2013 till now, either for imprisonment, holding in custody, jail sentences compared to very limited releases with the continuation of violations in prisons and cases in courts against journalists and media workers, as well as prevention of coverage, physical abuses, banning newspapers and programs, firing journalists and continuing media gags.

Imprisonment and holding in custody:

March has witnessed three cases of imprisonment and holding in custody. Journalist Ahmed Abdul-Monem Zahran, managing editor of Al-Mukhtar Al-Islami magazine and member of Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, has been arrested after suffering a bullet following the storming of the office he has been working in. Journalist Ahmed Abu-Deraa has been stopped at a a security out post in northern province of Sinai. He suffer enforced disappearance for 8 days then was released.

At the end of the month, journalist and writer Badr Mohammed Badr, former editor-in-chief of Al-Osra Al-Arabiya newspaper, has been detained from his office, and remained in enforced disappearance until the writing of this report.

March has witnessed three imprisonment sentences in one case known as “cell of Al-Shater sons”. Islam Jumaa, photographer of closed Misr 25 satellite channel, has been sentenced to life imprisonment (25 years). Both Mohammed Abusool, journalist of Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper, and Ayman Gab-Allah, head of Al-Jazeera Mubasher were sentenced to three years in prison.

Releases

There were two releases in March. Abdul-Rahman Yaqout, photographer of Karmouz news website, and journalist Mohammed Al-Yamani were released.

Violations in prisons

Four violations in prisons were reported in March, most notably what happened to journalist Hesham Jaafar who was moved from Tora prison hospital to Al-Aqrab prison before recovery, as he suffers from severe weak-sight and some other diseases. His family issued a statement warning of deterioration of his health, and holding ministry of interiors the responsibility.

Wife of Mosaad Al-Barabary, manager of Ahrar 25, jailed in Wadi Al-Natron prison refuses to meet his family in protest of prison administration’s intransigence against him.

Also, journalist Ahmed Abdul-Monem’s imprisonment was renewed without notifying his lawyer.

Trials and complaints

March has witnessed 57 complaints and trials. The strangest of the cases was renewing the jailing of journalists Hamdi Al-Zaaem, Mohammed Hassan and Osama Al-Beshbeshi for 45 days after a court ruled to release them and refused prosecutors appeal.

This month has witnessed also many prison sentences against media workers. Ayaman Nour, Moataz Matar, Mohammed Nasser and Hamza Zobaa were sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Osama Gaweesh and Ayat Orabi were sentenced to five years in prison.

Administrative Court has rejected a case filed by the lawyer of jailed journalist Hassan Al-Qabbani against not listing his name among in candidates in Egyptian Journalists Syndicate elections.

As usual, many complaints were filed against journalists and media workers, including those opposed to the current regime like Mohammed Nasser, Moataz Matar, Hamza Zobaa, Ayat Orabi and Osama Gaweesh; as well as supporters of to the current regime like Ibrahim essa, Lamis Al-Hadidi, Abdul-Halim Qandeel, Mostafa Bakri, Azmy Mogahed and others. Complaints included accusations of incitement against the state, disturbing the peace and other accusations.

Jailing has been renewed for a number of jailed journalists like Mohammed Al-Batawi, Hesham Jaafar, Ismail Al-Eskandarani, Hassan Al-Qabbani, and journalists and media workers in the case known as “media committee”

Coverage Bans

March has witnessed 11 coverage bans either in government institutions, courts, clubs, universities or private institutions. It was notable the intransigence against the provincial journalists and preventing journalists of a province of covering events there while allowing journalists accompanying guests visiting the province. This took place in provinces of Suez, Luxor and Beni-Suef and other provinces.

Coverage bans has continued in trials and some other events like in Cairo University. However, the most notable case was preventing journalists of covering Pope Tawadros II for Beni-Suef province south of Cairo. This is in addition to prevention of covering activities and events of football teams like what has happened more than once in Al-Salam stadium in Suez province.

Physical abuses and raids

There were five physical abuses in March, most notably the kidnapping and beating of Said Break, correspondent of ONA news agency in Fayoum province south of Cairo by a number of guards of a restaurant. Also, Sout Masr TV channel crew in Damietta province in Nile Delta was held in a bakery in the provinces. Moreover, media anchor Reham Said and team were assaulted by local residents in Sharqiya province north of Cairo.

Closures of Programs, newspaper and media outlets

March has witnessed cases. Reuters news agency has closed Aswat Masriya website. Al-Ahram Foundation refused to print the weekly issue of Al-Masriya weekly newspaper. Also, Supreme Council of Press stopped the license of Al-Badil private newspaper and a number of other newspapers.

Layoffs

70 trainee journalists in Sout Al-Omma newspaper were fired in March following the purchase of the newspaper by businessman Ahmed Abu-Hashima, and he appointed Khaled Salah as deputy head of the board of directors.

Publishing restrictions

Ayman Al-Shereif, mayor of Al-Qarna town, were fired because of comments on the grand imam of Al-Azhar.

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Below is an updated list of detained journalists in Egypt till March 31, 2017 (97 Journalists):

1. Magdi Ahmed Hussein (Editor of Al-Shaab Al-Jadeed)
2. Hani Salah Al-Din (Managing editor of Youm7)
3. Hisham Jaafar (MADA)
4. Ismail Al-Iskandrani (Freelance journalist)
5. Mahmoud Hussain, Al-Jazeera news network
6. Reem Qotb Jabarah, independent film director
7. Mohammed Farag, freelance journalist
8. Nabil Al-Ashri, editor of Mubasher website
9. Mohammed Al-Shaer, of Mubasher website
10. Mohammed Salah Sharara, Qatari Al-Watan
11. Hamdi Abdul-Aziz (Zoomnews)
12. Hamdi Al-Zaaem (Al-Hayat)
13. Mohammed Hassan (Al-Nabaa Al-Watani)
14. Osama Al-Beshbeshi (Baladi website)
15. Mohammed Haz (Freelance journalist)
16. Omar Adel (Zoom News website)
17. Mohammed Al-jenidi (Freelance journalist)
18. Hussein Abdul-Halim of Al-Dostor)
19. Ahmed Sebaie (Head of Al-Aqsa TV office in Egypt)
20. Hassan Al-Qabbani (Al-Karama newspaper)
21. Mohammed Saber Al-Batawi (Al-Akhbar)
22. Ibrahim Al-Dadrawi (Al-Qawmiya for distribution)
23. Mohsen Radi (Al-Daawa)
24. Said Abu Haj (Sinai Media Center)
25. Amr Al-Khafif (Former director of broadcast engineering in ERTU)
26. Emad Abu Zaid (Al-Ahram)
27. Mohammed Abossoul (Akhbar Al-Youm)
28. Abdo Desuqi (Ikhwanweb)
29. Mohammed Ibrahim Shukri (Al-Omma TV channel)
30. Walid Shalabi (Ikhwan Online)
31. Yusuf Talat (Al-Sabab TV channel)
32. Mahmoud Mostafa Saad (Alnahar newspaper)
33. Ammar Abdul Majid (Al-Hadath website)
34. Sabri Anwar (Elbadil newspaper)
35. Samhi Mostafa (Rassd network)
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 Salah 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. Osama Ezzuddin (Misr 25 TV channel)
48. Mohammad Al-Adli (Amjad TV channel)
49. Abdullah Al-Fakharani (Rassd network)
50. Moataz Mostafa Shahin (Freedom and Justice newspaper)
51. Mohamed Salah Sowaidan (Freelance photographer)
52. Mahmoud Abdul-Nabi Awad (Rassd network)
53. Ibrahim Abdul-Nabi Awad (Rassd network)
54. Khalid Abdul-Rauf Sahlob (Rassd network)
55. Khaled Hamza (Managing editor of IkhwanWeb)
56. Sayed Musa (Amjad TV channel)
57. Karim Mostafa Al-Sayed (Al-Shabab TV channel)
58. Mohammed Ezzat (Ikhwan Online)
59. Abdullah Shousha (Amjad TV channel)
60. Ahmed Lashin (Misr 25 TV channel)
61. Shadi Abdul-Hamid (Freelance correspondent)
62. Suhaib Saad Al-Haddad (Freelance correspondent, Aljazeera)
63. Khalid Mohammed Abdul-Rahman (Freelance correspondent, Aljazeera)
64. Wael Al-Heddini (Freelance correspondent)
65. Mohammed Maamoun Abu Shousha (Ahrar 25 TV channel)
66. Ibrahim Talha (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
67. Mahmoud Jamal Ali Othman (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
68. Mohyi Qasem Mohammed Abdul-Jawwad (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
69. Mohammed Mostafa Abdul-Nasser Abdul-Qadir (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
70. Ahmed Muharram Abdul-Salam (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
71. Ahmed Abdul-Monem Zahran (Al-Mukhtar Al-Islami magazine)
72. Sameh Mohammed Ahmed Bakri (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
73. Abdullah Jamal Moftah (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
74. Ammar Samir Abdul-Ghani Ahmad (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
75. Ahmed Khamis Mahmoud Kheder (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
76. Belal Abdullah Ahmad (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
77. Abdul-Rahman Hassan Abdul-Hafiz (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
78. Ahmed Khamis Anwar Abdul-Qawi (Stringer for satellite TV channels
79. Osama Hashem Mohammed Hashem (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
80. Mohamed Hossamuddin Abdul-Halim Al-Kafrawi (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
81. Omar Mohamed Mabrouk Al-Sawi (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
82. Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al-Najjar (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
83. Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Shehata (Stringer for satellite TV channels)
84. Islam Gomaa (Misr 25 TV channel)
85. Ahmed Hamouda Al-Sakhawi (Misr newspaper)
86. Ahmed Al-Mansi (Shabab News website)
87. Mahmoud Abdul-Latif (Shabab News website)
88. Ibrahim Samir (Freelance correspondent)
89. Islam Al-Banna (Freelance correspondent)
90. Islam Atef (Al-Omma website)
91. Ahmed Abu Khabeer (Al-Omma website)
92. Ahmed Maher Ali (Freelance correspondent)
93. Assem Abdul-Fattah (Al-Omma website)
94. Omar Khedr (Rassd network)
95. Omar Mabrouk (Freelance journalist)
96. Mahmoud Yahia (Al-Omma TV channel)
97. Badr Mohammed Badr (Al-Osra Al-Arabiya)