Pakistan Press Foundation is concerned over the death sentence recommended for three journalists
Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt, expressed concern over the death sentences recommended for three journalists, two Egyptian and one Jordanian.
PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter urged the government of Egypt to not to approve or implement these sentences and look into the matter carefully before taking a ruthless step against these journalists
According to International Press Institute (IPI), the Egyptian journalist Ibrahim Hilal and the Jordanian journalist Alaa Sablan, employees of Al Jazeera, Asmaa Al Khateeb, an Egyptian and a reporter for pro-Muslim Brotherhood news network Rassd and three others were charged by the court for endangering national security by leaking state secrets and documents to Qatar.
Prosecutors argue that the journalists were involved in leaking sensitive documents containing military secrets. The defence rejected these claims and said that documents were moved out of Egypt’s presidential palace to protect them during the protests against the rule of former President who was deposed by the military in 2013. The defence also added that the prosecution has not yet proved any linkage of the journalists with espionage.
Final decision is expected on June 18. While, the recommendations of death sentences has been referred to Egyptian grand mufti, Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, an official interpreter of Islamic law. The journalists also have the ability to appeal the sentences.
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