Egypt arrests virus outbreak critics
A doctor arrested after writing an article about Egypt’s fragile health system.
A pharmacist picked up from work after posting online about a shortage of protective gear.
An editor taken from his home after questioning official coronavirus figures.
A pregnant doctor arrested after a colleague used her phone to report a suspected coronavirus case.
As Egyptian authorities fight the swelling coronavirus outbreak, security agencies have tried to stifle criticism about the handling of the health crisis by the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
At least 10 doctors and six journalists have been arrested since the virus first hit Egypt in February, according to rights groups. Other health workers say they have been warned by administrators to keep quiet or face punishment. One foreign correspondent has fled the country, fearing arrest, and another two have been summoned for reprimand over “professional violations”.
Coronavirus infections are surging in the country of 100 million, threatening to overwhelm hospitals. As of Tuesday, the Health Ministry had recorded 76,253 infections, including 3343 deaths — the highest death toll in the Arab world.
“Every day I go to work, I sacrifice myself and my whole family,” said a front-line doctor in greater Cairo, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, like all doctors interviewed for this story. “Then they arrest my colleagues to send us a message. I see no light on the horizon.”
In 2013, el-Sissi, as defence minister, led the military’s removal of Egypt’s first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, after his brief rule sparked nationwide protests. In years since, el-Sissi has stamped out dissent, jailing Islamist political opponents, secular activists, journalists, even belly dancers.
Now the clampdown has extended to doctors who speak publicly about missing protective gear or question the official infection count.
El-Sissi has said the virus’s trajectory was “reassuring” and described critics as “enemies of the state”.