Pakistan Press Foundation protests imprisonment of journalists in Egypt | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Pakistan Press Foundation protests imprisonment of journalists in Egypt

Pakistan Press Foundation

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), an independent non-governmental institution committed to promoting and defending freedom of expression is concerned over one-year imprisonment sentence given to reporter of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Newspaper, Samah Ibrahim and imprisonment of at least nine other journalists in Egypt.

According to information received from Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in a letter to Prime Minister of Arab Republic of Egypt said, Quote “Samah Ibrahim was sentenced to one-year imprisonment on 17 March, 2014 after being convicted on charges including “disturbing the peace,” according to her employer, lawyers and news reports. Her lawyer, Khalid Eid said that Samah was arrested in January while photographing a protest organized by members of the Muslim Brotherhood against the new constitution. As pointed out by CPJ, Samah Ibrahim is one of at least 10 journalists imprisoned in the country, and it is getting more difficult to keep track of the number of journalists kept in prison as the Egyptian government apparently feels that it has broad license to expand its crackdown on the press. According to news reports, recently pre-trial detentions of Hussein Hassan Sobhy, a reporter for the online Radio Horytna, Ahmed Fouad, a reporter for Karmos news website, have been extended for 15 days. Sobhy was arrested on Feb 21 while covering the Muslim Brotherhood protest in the Al-Haram district of Giza, and accused of joining demonstration, while Fouad was arrested on Jan 25 while covering a demonstration in Sidi Beshr by Muslim Brotherhood members. He has been charged with “joining a group that aims to disrupt the law,” “demonstrating without permission,” “blocking a road,” & “possessing a weapon.” At least seven other journalists are being held behind the bars in Egypt for their professional work.”

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PPF condemns jail term given to Samah Ibrahim and arrest of other journalists and demands of the Egyptian government to stop harassing journalists and immediately release them to ensure press freedom in the country.

Pakistan Press Foundation


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