3 members of Egyptian Press Syndicate referred to trial

The head of the Egyptian Press Syndicate and two officials will stand trial on charges of harbouring reporters who were wanted by the police at the headquarters of the syndicate, a judicial source said.

The head of the syndicate, Yehia Qalash, its General-Secretary Gamal Abdel-Rahim, and the head of the Freedoms Committee Khalid Albhei were released late on Monday after being held in custody for 24 hours, their lawyer Kareem Abdul Radi told AFP.

They are accused of harbouring fugitives at the syndicate headquarters and circulating false news about the incident in which the police raided the syndicate to arrest two journalists, according to the lawyer and officials in the public prosecutor’s office.

Egypt’s security forces raided the syndicate’s headquarters on 1 May and arrested journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud Al-Sakka. The Press Syndicate described the raid as “unprecedented” and demanded that the interior minister resign and the ministry apologise to journalists.

The union’s president also accused the authorities of “waging war on the press.”

International human rights organisations accuse President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi’s regime of trying to silence all opposition forces and restrict freedom of opinion and expression.