The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) shares with you the publications, statements, and videos it produced over the past month, in addition to the legal updates of lawsuits in which AFTE provides legal support to prisoners of conscience, or to academics who were subjected to abuse and security prosecutions for expressing their opinions.
We always welcome any inquiries or clarifications from everyone, through our social media platforms, or via the following email: [email protected]
Research Papers
Elections lacking legitimacy …. The third quarterly report on the state of freedom of expression in Egypt (from 1 July to 30 September 2023)
Violations practiced by Egyptian authorities against rights and freedom have continued to occur in conjunction with the announcement of the organizational procedures and official dates of the presidential elections. Meanwhile, authorities have continued their aggravating pursuit of rights activists and political oppositions, as well as violations against digital rights, students’ rights, and academic freedom. For more details.
Advocacy
AFTE and various human rights organizations condemn the summoning for investigation of Lina Atallah, the founder and editor-in-chief of the Mada Masr news website, by the Cairo Appeals Prosecution Office on December 6. Atallah was summoned one month after the Supreme Council for Media Regulation decided to block the Mada Masr website for six months. We demand the dismissal of all charges pressed against the editor-in-chief, the immediate stop of targeting journalists, and the immediate release of journalists, content creators, and bloggers held in pre-trial detention for years against the backdrop of their work in journalism. We also call on the officials to lift the ban on all independent news websites and allow all media outlets to work without harassment and censorship. For more details
AFTE and various human rights organizations demand the Egyptian government to immediately provide the security clearance needed for the global conscious convoy to start its march towards Egypt’s side of the Rafah border crossing to peacefully demonstrate for the immediate stop of the war on Gaza and the opening of the Rafah border crossing for humanitarian aid and medical and journalistic crews. For more details.
AFTE and a number of rights organizations demand that states which provided and continue to provide arms and other forms of military assistance to Israel to adhere to their legal obligations and immediately stop their provision of such assistance. Also, the organizations call on states importing arms and surveillance security from Israel to immediately halt their imports and the transit states to refuse to have their ports and airports used for transferring arms to Israel. For more details.
AFTE and other rights organizations call on the Egyptian parliament to put pressure on the government to call for the immediate cease of the ongoing genocide against the besieged people of Gaza. The organizations also demand the Arab states that have normalized relations with Israel to respond to the popular demands and cut ties and treaties with the settler colony of Israel, in addition to other demands. For more details.
Legal Aid
- Despite spending more than three years in pre-trial detention, Cairo Criminal Court renewed journalist Karim Ebrahim’s detention for an extra 45 days in November 12 session
- The Criminal Court renewed Moataz Bellah Hasab Elnaby’s detention for 45 days against Facebook posts despite spending two years in pre-trial detention.
- The Administrative Court ruled to cancel Helwan University’s decision to refrain from appointing a university graduate to a teaching assistant position due to lack of security approval.
- The Administrative Judiciary decided to cancel the Acting Professions Syndicate’s decision to refrain from registering Ayman Elsayed
- The trial of Ahmed Al-Tantawy and 22 members of his presidential campaign was postponed to the January 9 session in the “Public Endorsements” case
- The Criminal Court renewed the detention of a student arrested from the metro station after his mobile was searched
- The Court of Cassation sets January 22 to examine the appeal against Sherry Hanem and Zomoroda’s verdict
- The Criminal Court renewed student Mohamed Ahmed Saad’s detention for 45 days over the Alliance of Hope lawsuit despite exceeding 4 years in pretrial detention
- The Criminal Court renewed the detention of activist Marwa Arafa despite exceeding 3 years in pre-trial detention in violation of the law.
- The Administrative Judiciary Court postponed the hearing against dismissing student who serve life sentences.
- The Criminal Court renewed the detention of two Zamalek football club fans accused of joining Al-Ahly football club ultras for 45 days.
- After criticizing the current political regime, The Criminal Court renewed the detention of the 67-year-old doctor Hany Soliman for 45 days.
- The Criminal Court renewed Hala Fahmy’s detention, and her defense requests that she be referred to two neurologists and orthopedists at her expense
- The Criminal Court renewed the six-year ongoing detention of Mohamed Al-Qassas.
- Detention of employee Mohamed Abou Mandour renewed for 45 days over political posts on Facebook.
- The Criminal Court renewed Mohamed Raafat Nasr’s detention for 45 days.
- The Criminal Court renewed Mohamed Amer Abdel Aziz’s detention for 45 days.
- The Criminal Court renewed a contractor’s detention for 45 days.
- Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of Hany Soliman over chanting and filming during October victory celebrations.
- The detention of Activist and one of the injured in the January Revolution, Ahmed Oraby, was renewed for 45 days.
- The Criminal Court renewed Mohamed Abdel Aal Abou El-Dahab’s detention for 45 days.
- The Criminal Court renewed the detention of the poet and author of the “Balaha” political parody song, Galal Al-Behairi, despite exceeding five years in prison.
- The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed Mohamed Asr’s detention for 15 days for posting on TikTok about the economic situation and electricity outage.
- Supreme State Security renewed Mohamed Abdo’s detention over criticizing the president’s policies on TikTok.
- State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of Ahmed Abostit for demonstrating in solidarity with Palestine.
- State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of a student for demonstrating in solidarity with Palestine.
- Supreme State Security renewed the detention of two participants in demonstrations of solidarity with Palestine for 15 days.
Campaigns
ِAmidst the genocide committed by the Zionist colonial army of Israel in Gaza, AFTE sheds the light on the targeting of the journalists and correspondents by Israeli soldiers while wearing the press-labeled vest through the hashtag #Coverage_with_no_fear. For more details.
Egyptian female prisoners are facing a two-fold increase of violence in prisons; for being political opponents and for just being “females”.
On the #International_day_for_the Elimination_of_Violence_against_Women, AFTE remembers the female political prisoners and sheds light on the brutal conditions they face, from harassment to violating the sanctity of their bodies. For more details.
On the sideline of the #international_day_for_the_elimination_of_violence_against_women, women of Gaza are suffering brutal and inhumane conditions, including deprivation of basic needs targeting those who are pregnant. For more details.
