‘Courts stifling press’

EGYPT: GOVERNMENT CRITICS AT RISK OF PROSECUTION, SAYS AMNESTY

Convictions lack evidence, based on testimony of security forces, says watchdog.

Cairo

Egyptian authorities are using the courts to stifle journalism, Amnesty International said yesterday in a report that listed 18 reporters and media workers jailed and dozens more facing criminal investigations.

The New York-based rights group said several reporters had been detained for long periods without charge or trial, including an Egyptian photographer known as Shawkan who had been held for more than 600 days.

Rights groups say a crackdown by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi in 2013 has muzzled freedom of expression.

“In Egypt today anyone who challenges the authorities’ official narrative, criticises the government or exposes human rights violations is at risk of being tossed into a jail cell, often to be held indefinitely without charge or trial or face prosecution on trumpedup charges,” Amnesty said.

The Egyptian foreign ministry responded to the report saying “nobody is being targeted for being a journalist. Such accusations are politicised nonsense”.

The sentencing of three Al Jazeera journalists to between 7 and 10 years in prison last year on charges of spreading lies reinforced the view of rights groups the government was curbing freedoms gained after a 2011 uprising.

Australian Peter Greste was deported in February, while Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohamed are undergoing a retrial after a court found procedural flaws in the original case.

Among other incidents cited by Amnesty were 25-year prison sentences given to 14 journalists and media workers last month on charges of spreading false information and inciting violence.

In a separate case, five journalists from the privately-owned Al Masry Al Youm newspaper face a criminal investigation after accusing security forces of corruption and human rights violations.

Amnesty said most convictions lacked evidence and were based solely on testimonies of the security forces.

Since mid-2013 at least six journalists have been killed while covering protests in Egypt, the group said. – Reuters

Nobody is being targeted for being a journalist. Such accusations are politicised nonsense

Egyptian foreign ministry