Berlin, July 22, 2024
In recent days, has witnessed an intensified crackdown on the press. The independent website “Al-Manassa” announced today that a security force in civilian clothing arrested caricaturist Ashraf Omar early this morning from his home, blindfolded him, and confiscated a sum of money in addition to Omar’s personal computer. Omar had recently published several caricatures on “Al-Manassa” that satirized various economic issues in Egypt, such as power outages, the sale of state assets, and the external debt crisis.
Meanwhile, the Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to detain journalist Khaled Mamdouh Mohamed Ibrahim for 15 days pending investigations in case number 1282 of 2024. This decision comes after he had been forcibly disappeared for 6 days following the raid on his home and his arrest last Tuesday. Mamdouh was presented to the prosecution on Sunday, July 21, where he was charged with joining a terrorist group with full knowledge of its objectives, committing one of the crimes of financing a terrorist group, and publishing and broadcasting false news and statements that could harm security and public order. The prosecution has confiscated his phone and laptop.
Law and Democracy Support Foundation stated that obscuring economic and political issues and employing security measures to silence journalists and opinion holders for addressing these issues will not succeed in solving or hiding them from citizens who are already aware of their existence. The foundation stressed that the solution begins with respecting national and international laws and regulations, listening to critical and opposing viewpoints, and seeking political solutions to these crises.
The Egyptian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the journalists and respect the Egyptian constitution and international laws that guarantee freedom of opinion and expression, as well as the freedom of the press and media. They should cease expanding the use of restrictive legislation such as the anti-terrorism law, which the authorities claim was enacted to combat acts of violence but has been used for years to pursue thinkers and opinion holders.
