Egypt sentences detained journalist to 20 years; accused of threatening second journalist
Yasser Abu Al-Ela is sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Rasha Azab faces threats and harassment, reflecting the escalating dangers for journalists in the country.
Freedom for Alaa Abd el-Fattah: NGOs appeal to UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
IFEX joins rights groups urging the UN to act on the case of the British-Egyptian activist, who remains detained despite completing his sentence.
UK urged to pause financial cooperation with Egypt until Alaa Abd el-Fattah is freed
On 29 September, when Alaa’s five-year sentence came to an end, the Egyptian authorities did not release him, refusing to consider the two years he spent in pre-trial detention as “time served”.
Ashraf Omar: One hundred days a prisoner
Signatory organisations, IFEX among them, call for an end to the needlessly cruel and protracted detention of Ashraf Omar, the dismissal of the baseless criminal charges against him, and for his immediate release and safe return to family and friends.
Egypt: Reject draft Criminal Procedure Code
The proposed legislation threatens to undermine fair trial protections and entrench abuses by authorities, warn human rights groups.
Egypt violates own law by adding 2 years to Alaa Abdelfattah’s prison term
“It is a profound disgrace for Egypt to silence such a vital voice of conscience behind bars.”
Detained and disappeared: Egypt’s crackdown on journalists fuels climate of fear
IFEX and 33 rights groups demand the release of detained and forcibly disappeared journalists, and an end to the assault on press freedoms.
Egypt: Spate of free speech prosecutions
IFEX joins rights groups sounding the alarm over Egypt’s latest wave of arrests and prosecutions targeting journalists and critics.
Egypt: Reforming arbitrary pretrial detention requires political will over legal formalities
Rights groups warn that reducing pretrial detention is futile without ending repressive practices and ensuring judicial independence.
Hosting of UN climate summits by authoritarian countries raises alarms over human rights
Rights groups urge the UN to ensure that future climate summits are held in countries that respect human rights and allow for peaceful assembly and free speech.
ElMaraya raid sparks concerns for Egypt’s cultural freedom
Rights groups demand that the government stop targeting independent cultural organizations and respect the right to artistic expression.
Egypt: Rights groups condemn crackdown on journalists, and warn of widening press freedom violations
The detention of Khaled Mamdouh and Ashraf Omar raises concerns that it will be the beginning of a security campaign against independent journalists.
Egypt: Rights groups hold authorities responsible for the safety of Ahmed Douma and warn against targeting him over his poetry
The Ministry of Interior is urged to protect the activist and poet as pro-government figures’ accusations put his life at risk.
Egypt arrests 2 journalists in less than a week, refuses to disclose whereabouts
Authorities systematically use enforced disappearance to target journalists, often mistreating them before charges.