This has been a grim month for Egyptians who seek a better life and believe in dignity and freedom.
The amendments will undermine the Egyptian judiciary’s dwindling independence and expand the military’s power to intervene in political life.
Hisham Gaafar must spend three hours at a police station twice a week and is banned from traveling abroad.
The authorities have unleashed a systematic media demonization campaign against Amr Waked and Khaled Abol Naga for participating in “Egypt Advocacy Day”.
Both Shawkan and Alaa Abdelfattah have to report to a police station and likely stay overnight every night for the foreseeable future.
The news broke on Twitter when his sister, activist Mona Seif, tweeted simply: “Alaa is out.”
Alaa has been imprisoned for protest-related activities since 2013.
Mahmoud Abou Zeid, also known as Shawkan, had been held since 14 August 2013, when he was arrested as he was preparing to photograph the violent dispersal of a massive sit-in.
The Egyptian government has given no explanation for the latest delay in Shawkan’s release, which should have occurred earlier this month.
The barring of NYT correspondent David Kirkpatrick from entering the country is the latest in a series of practices hostile towards freedom of the press.
Since mid-2013, President Sisi has shut down the public sphere and effectively nationalized the press through the sale of newspapers and private channels to the security apparatus, allowing the state to dominate the media discourse.
All journalists portrayed by RSF were arrested since Gen. Abdel Fatah el-Sisi seized power in 2013.
Hisham Gaafar has been held arbitrarily since October 2015. RSF is concerned for his health and reiterates its call for his immediate release.
Gomaa is in his second year in provisional detention, the maximum number of years under Egyptian law.