Imprisoned Egyptian journalist Yasser Abu El-Ela continues his hunger strike for the third consecutive day, in protest against his difficult detention conditions.
The State Security Prosecution decided on Saturday to renew Yasser Abu El-Ela’s detention for 15 days pending investigations in Case No. 1568 of 2024 State Security. Thus, the detained journalist declared an open hunger strike in protest against the prison administration’s ill-treatment as he has been held in solitary confinement since his detention and denied family visits despite suffering from a herniated disc.
Security forces had arrested Yasser Abu El-Ela from his home on March 10, while he was awaiting trial in a previous case dating back to 2015, which is being considered by the First Terrorism Circuit, held at the Badr Court headquarters.
Abu Al-Ela has been subjected to forced disappearance for several months since his arrest, and has not been able to attend the trial sessions. Nor his lawyer or his family were allowed to follow up on his case or know his fate.
On April 27, security forces arrested Naglaa Fathy, the wife of journalist Yasser Abu Al-Ela and her sister, for protesting against her husband’s disappearance, who has been forcibly disappeared for about 50 days, despite her being the sole caregiver for her four children and her paralyzed mother. The wife and her sister Asmaa Fathy were later brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on May 11, 2024, after they were arrested and disappeared for 13 days. They were investigated in Case No. 2369 of 2023, Supreme State Security, on charges of joining and financing a banned group. They were later placed in pretrial detention for 15 days.
The Journalists Syndicate had previously filed a report to the Public Prosecutor stating that the journalist had disappeared, and demanded that his family be allowed to visit him and his lawyer to communicate with him.
The Journalists Syndicate held all relevant parties fully responsible for the journalist’s condition and safety, noting that his right to trial guarantees would be denied if he was not brought to his next court session and his ongoing disappearance would continue, which would result in him being punished with an in absentia ruling, which is inconsistent with his most basic rights to a fair trial, in addition to the risks that threaten his life while he remains in forced disappearance.
Dozens of Egyptian journalists have been imprisoned since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took power in the country, as the Egyptian authorities waged an unprecedented crackdown campaign against his opponents and critics, which requires an urgent intervention from human rights organizations and the international community to put an end to the Egyptian regime’s ongoing violations.
