The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists for press freedom, today reiterated its demand for the release of IPI member and Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein from Egyptian prison.
Hussein has spent 1,400 days in the notorious Tora prison as the Egyptian government has repeatedly and illegally extended his detention, accusing him of broadcasting 鈥渇ake news鈥� and 鈥渄efaming鈥� state institutions.
鈥淲e urge the Egyptian government to release our member Mahmoud Hussein without further delay鈥�, IPI Director of Advocacy Ravi R. Prasad said. 鈥淗is detention is not just illegal but also a gross violation of human rights by the al-Sisi regime. The international community had turned a blind eye to the arrest of journalists.鈥�
The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention聽聽in January 2018 that the conditions of Hussein鈥檚 imprisonment amounted to 鈥渃ruel, inhuman and degrading treatment鈥�. Despite these observations Egypt has continued to detain Hussein and denied him access to medical attention.
Hussein was originally arrested by Egyptian authorities upon his arrival in Cairo on a trip to visit family on December 20, 2016. He was interrogated for over 14 hours without a lawyer present, before being released and then arrested again days later.
Five days later, Egypt鈥檚 interior ministry publicly accused him of 鈥渄isseminating false news and receiving monetary funds from foreign authorities in order to defame the state鈥檚 reputation鈥�.
Since then, Hussein鈥檚 detention has been extended more than a dozen times.
In May 2019, a decision to release him under 鈥減recautionary measures鈥� was controversially overturned at the last minute.
Earlier that week an Egyptian court had upheld a May 21 decision to release him under 鈥減recautionary measures鈥� which would have freed him from jail, while retaining some restrictions on his movement.
In preparation for his imminent release, he had been transferred from Cairo鈥檚 Tora prison to a holding cell in Giza, where his final clearance would be approved by the National Security Agency鈥檚 office.
However, in the middle of the proceedings, as his family waited outside to greet him, Hussein was suddenly transferred to the office of the prosecutor for state security and then sent back to jail.
Authorities announced that a new investigation had been opened against him and he was taken back to Tora prison in the capital, with no other details or reason given for yet another extension of his detention.
According to IPI鈥檚聽data, more than 60 journalists are currently held behind bars in Egypt鈥檚 crowded prisons and as 迟别蝉迟颈尘辞苍颈补濒蝉听attest, often under poor conditions.
In June, IPI had urged the Egyptian government to聽release聽all journalists amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19 in prisons. A month later, well-known journalist Mohamed Mounir, died after contracting COVID-19 while in pre-trial detention in Cairo鈥檚 notorious Tora prison.