Paris protesters call for release of detained journalists in Egypt

Dozens of activists took part in a demonstration yesterday in central Paris to call for the rescue of Egyptian journalists detained by Egyptian authorities.

Organised by Reporters without Borders (RSF), the demonstration coincided with the visit of the Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi to France.

On Monday Al-Sisi began a three day official visit to France to discuss increased cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, and military fields.

At the Place de la Concorde in central Paris, in front of Luxor Obelisk which symbolises Franco-Egyptian relations, the activists raised banners: ”Save the Egyptian journalists,” reported AFP.

The activists also carried banners with pictures of journalists who have been detained in Egypt.

Read more: ‘There are no political prisoners in Egypt,’ says Sisi

“We are here to show solidarity with the Egyptian journalists who have become the victims of the authorities’ violent repression and to remind others that we have not forgotten the situation of those in prison,” said Alexandra El-Khazen, director of the RSF office in the Middle East.

El-Khazen also stated that “we counted at least 16 cases of journalists or bloggers who were jailed because they were practicing their profession while trying to cover events or topics such as high prices, corruption, or relations with Saudi Arabia”.

The human rights group called on French President Emmanuel Macron to raise the issue of human rights during his talks with his Egyptian counterpart.

The Secretary General of RSF, Christophe Deloire, stressed the importance of “resolutely demonstrating to Al-Sisi and confirming that France regards these violations of human rights and freedom of the press and journalists as unacceptable, harming the image of Egypt and its own efforts to fight terrorism as well as damaging diplomatic relations”.

Yesterday Macron received Al-Sisi at the Elysee Palace. Following pressure from rights organisations Macron’s office has revealed that the French president will raise concerns about violations of freedoms in the country.

“This first meeting … will enable them to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as regional crises and the war on terror, as well as the human rights situation with which France is deeply concerned,” said the French presidency.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) stated that Egyptian authorities jailed 23 journalists in 2015, making it the second worst country to imprison journalists after China. However, the government denies anyone being jailed due to their reports.

Read more:  France must end ‘disgraceful policies of indulgence’ towards Egypt

Egypt was ranked 161st out of 180 countries in the 2016 World Press Freedom Survey, carried out by RWB, an NGO based in France. Egypt has receded two ranks since 2015. In this report Egypt was described as one of the world’s largest prisons for journalists.

The New York based CPJ has previously noted that the threat of imprisonment in Egypt is part of the overall climate in which the authorities censor the media, control critical voices, and issue orders that civilians remain quiet on sensitive issues.

It has also stated that the detention of journalists in Egypt is often violent and involves beatings and ill-treatment, raiding their homes, and confiscating their property.