The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of journalist Khaled Mamdouh and academic Sherif El-Sakka on various cases with vague charges, in a trial that lacked the minimum standards of a fair trial.
The Egyptian authorities practice this repressive policy against journalists and academics who express their opinions, even on their personal accounts, which raises concerns about the deterioration of the state of freedoms in the country.
The prosecution decided to renew the detention of journalist Khaled Mamdouh Mohamed for 15 days on the case No. 1282 of 2024, Supreme State Security, in which he was charged with joining a terrorist group and financing it, and publishing false news and statements aimed at disturbing public peace and order. All of these accusations are fabricated charges used by the Egyptian regime against its critics to harass them.
The authorities arrested Mamdouh from his home in the Maqtam area at dawn on July 16, and he remained forcibly disappeared for a week before appearing at the prosecution. The prosecution also rejected the defence’s request to release him on any grounds.
Khaled Mamdouh, who served as editor-in-chief of MBC Masr and has a journalistic career free of political affiliations, faced accusations without any tangible evidence.
Despite the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate’s attempts to intervene to uncover the circumstances of his detention, the authorities have not yet responded to the syndicate’s demands to enable his family and lawyer to communicate with him.
Renewal of Dr. Sherif El-Sakka’s detention
Similarly, the Public Prosecution renewed the detention of academic doctor Sherif El-Sakka, an assistant lecturer at Future University, for 15 days pending investigations in Case No. 2810 of 2024, Supreme State Security.
The charges against him included joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media.
El-Sakka was arrested in early July over posts he published on his Facebook page commenting on the deteriorating economic conditions in Egypt. He was subjected to enforced disappearance for a week before being brought before the Public Prosecution, which issued a decision to detain him, without any tangible evidence to prove the veracity of the charges against him.
The continued detention of journalist Khaled Mamdouh and doctor Sherif El-Sakka, without investigations or enabling them to defend themselves, is a flagrant violation of the principles of justice and internationally guaranteed human rights.
The use of anti-terrorism laws and pretrial detention orders as a tool to suppress journalists and academics constitutes an assault on freedom of expression and the right to participate in public affairs, which requires calling for the release of all those detained for expressing their opinions, ensuring the independence of the judiciary, and stopping the use of vague laws to target independent voices.
