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Amnesty calls on Egypt to release tortured photojournalist

December 9, 2016 at 4:19 pm

Image of Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid [Amnesty]

Amnesty International has called on the Egyptian authorities to release a photojournalist who has been imprisoned for more than three years in a “politically motivated” case.

In a statement released yesterday, Amnesty described the imprisonment of Mohammed Abu-Zeid, known by his alias, Shawkan, as a breach of Egyptian and international law.

Abu-Zeid was covering the violent dispersal of protest camps by Egyptian police forces in Rabaa set up after former President Mohamed Morsi was ousted by a military coup in 2013. Many were arrested and hundreds killed.

Shawkan is expected to appear in court next week to face charges of violence along will 700 others, in what has become a common sight for Egyptian courts.

Amnesty Deputy Director Najia Bounaim has also confirmed that Abu Zeid was tortured while in police custody and was forbidden access to lawyers during his interrogation.