Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF) condemns the ongoing and severe siege imposed by Egyptian authorities on creative freedoms and freedom of expression. This crackdown has escalated significantly, placing major restrictions on literary works and independent publishing houses during the 2026 Cairo International Book Fair. Security agencies have forced several publishers to remove literary works from their booths during the 57th edition of the fair, held from January 21 to February 3, 2026.
Egyptian security services issued direct orders to withdraw two prominent literary works from display:
- “The Virgin’s Travel” (Sifr al-Adhara) by Youssef Ziedan, published by “Dar N.” The publisher received official security instructions to immediately remove the novel and cancel the scheduled book signing and discussion.
- “The Cloud Factory” (Masna’ al-Suhub) by Hamed Abdel-Samad, published by “Al-Mahrousa Center.” The book was withdrawn and banned from display under the pretext of containing ideas that “promote atheism,” according to documented sources and the author’s own statements.
In the same context, the systematic exclusion of independent publishers continues. For the second consecutive year, the General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO) has prevented Dar Al-Maraya for Culture and Arts from participating without providing any official reasons or clear justifications. The publishing house stated that its name was deleted from the GEBO electronic registration platform as soon as registration opened, preventing its participation despite repeated attempts to understand the decision and communicating with the Egyptian Publishers Union to mediate. No response or explanation has been received to date.
This repeated banning inflicts significant material and moral losses on independent publishing houses known for their critical and cultural publications. It confirms a systematic pattern of exclusion targeting independent voices and content that deviates from “official lines,” in clear violation of the principles of freedom of publishing, expression, and access to knowledge.
The Egyptian security apparatus is playing a direct role as a guardian over intellectual and cultural production through undeclared and extrajudicial restrictions that suppress intellectual pluralism and hinder any attempt at critical thinking. This approach occurs within a persistent effort to confiscate all spaces for free expression and independent creativity—a campaign that has not spared independent media, journalists, bloggers, online content creators, or even literary and artistic works. These practices entrench an exceptional state that threatens freedom of thought and expression, stifles cultural diversity, and violates both the Egyptian Constitution and international human rights standards.
These direct security interventions in the display and distribution process are a blatant violation of Article 65 of the Egyptian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of thought and expression, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a signatory. It raises grave concerns regarding the expansion of prior censorship on books and the restriction of publishing freedom within one of the largest cultural platforms in the Arab world.
Law and Democracy Support Foundation calls on Egyptian authorities to:
- Immediately cease security interventions within the Book Fair.
- Return the withdrawn books and lift the arbitrary restrictions imposed on independent publishing houses.
- Ensure a free cultural environment where the rights of writers and the public are protected from political censorship and security guardianship.
