Egypt: 1.4 violations against journalists every 72 hours

The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate on Sunday criticised the arrest of three of its members on World Press Freedom Day.

The head of the syndicate’s Freedom Committee, Khaled Al-Balshi, said in a press conference that these arrests are “a message from the Minister of Interior that it continues with its violations against journalists, even on their international day.”

During the conference that marked Press Freedom Day, Al-Balshi spoke about Ahmed Gamal Ziyada, a journalist who was acquitted by a court but has not been released. Ziyada has spent 487 days in prison.

The head of the Press Syndicate Yahya Qallash revealed that he discussed with the minister of interior a few days ago the issue of violations against journalists.

During his speech at the conference, Qallash said he asked the minister to put the issue of journalists aside and to study the issue of photographers, adding that “the camera has become a sign to target its bearer.”

Qallash said that a country that is at war with terrorism should not violate the freedom of the press because confronting terrorism through security measures only will not be effective.

The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights demanded that the state ensure the freedom of the press through amending the legislative structure that regulates journalists’ work in Egypt, and by developing a framework and a code of conduct for the rights and duties of journalists during their work so that they would not be vulnerable to abuse and harassment.

According to a report issued by the Press Syndicate’s Freedom Committee, in cooperation with five human rights organisations, journalists are still at risk of abuses by the authorities and “some state agencies, especially the Interior Ministry insists on adopting the policy of gagging.”

The report listed the events that took place in earlier this year including “appalling violations that the authorities carried to prevent journalists from reporting the facts to the public.” The report stated also that there are civilians and groups who partake in the aggression against journalists, violating Egyptians’ right to information.