United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) stated that nine Egyptian Journalists are arbitrarily detained.
The journalists are Abdullah Ahmed Mohammed Ismail Alfakharany, Samhy Mostafa Ahmed Abdulalim, Mohamed Mohamed Aladili, Ahmed Sabii, Youssouf Talat Mahmoud Mahmoud Abdulkarim, Hani Salheddin, Mosaad Albarbary, Abdo Dasouki and Waleed Abdulraoof Shalaby.
WAGD stated in its Opinion No. 7/2016, that the journalists’ deprivation of liberty “is arbitrary, being in contravention of articles 5, 9, 10, 11 and 19 of the UDHR and articles 7, 9, 10, 14 and 19 of the ICCPR.” In other words, the experts not only acknowledged that the journalists’ trial was unfair but also that they have been deprived of their liberty because of their work as journalists and for peacefully expressing themselves. Consequently the independent UN experts requested their immediate release as well as a compensation for their suffering.
After reviewing the facts sent to them by Alkarama Foundation on 19 May 2015 and the answers provided by the Egyptian government, the UN experts ruled that the Egyptian state is violating the journalists’ fundamental rights and consequently called upon the Egyptian authorities to immediately release them.
