The Egyptian regime still imposes restrictions and abuses on journalists, which have escalated to the point where they are being detained for extended periods of time and facing harsh court decisions.
Under these circumstances, the Cairo Criminal Court opposition judge decided to extend journalist Mohamed Saad Khattab’s 45-day detention on the grounds that he had “joined a terrorist group,” “published false news and statements,” and “misused social media.” These are accusations that the regime frequently makes against its opponents and critics.
Khattab was brought before the opposition judge for the first time, after receiving 10 consecutive detention renewals from the State Security Prosecution—the maximum number permitted by Egyptian law. When an accused person is brought before the State Security Prosecution and his detention is renewed 10 times in a row, the opposition judge is consulted before making a decision on the matter.
Journalist Khattab’s repeated complaint about the serious decline in his health and the denial of treatment was disregarded by the opposition judge, who decided to extend the detention on the basis of “routine” and procedural grounds alone.
The 72-year-old Khattab has major health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery insufficiency. The defense team had warned of the gravity of Khattab’s condition, but the prosecution had previously refused to bring the journalist before a medical committee inside his prison cell.
Since his arrest on August 19, 2023, journalist Khattab has been the victim of grave violations, such as being left naked all night and having his clothes taken away from him.
Since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power, the Egyptian government has put dozens of journalists behind bars and launched an unprecedented campaign of repression against opponents and critics. This has prompted calls for the international community and human rights organizations to intervene in order to stop the ongoing violations by the Egyptian regime.
