19 September 2023
The Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to release Gamal Ziada under the guarantee of his place of residence, pending lawsuit No. 2064 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
Gamal Ziada is the father of journalist and human rights activist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, who has been detained and tried over his journalistic work several times. A security force in civilian clothes arrested Ziada on August 22. During the period in which he was seized before he was presented before the prosecution, he was interrogated about his son and his journalistic work more than once. The prosecution did not confront Ziada with any publications proving the charge of spreading false news and statements that the prosecution brought against him later, as he works as a clothing workshop manager, and his Facebook page only posts promotional content related to his work.
Ziada faced accusations of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news and information that would harm security and public order, and using a social media account to spread false news and statements.
Supreme State Security Prosecution renews the detention of journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada’s father for 15 days for the third time
13 September 2023
The Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed Gamal Ziada’s detention for 15 days pending investigations of lawsuit No. 2064 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
Gamal Ziada is the father of journalist and human rights activist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, who has been detained and tried over his journalistic work several times. A security force in civilian clothes arrested Ziada on August 22. During the period in which he was seized before he was presented before the prosecution, he was interrogated about his son and his journalistic work more than once. The prosecution did not confront Ziada with any publications proving the charge of spreading false news and statements that the prosecution brought against him later, as he works as a clothing workshop manager, and his Facebook page only posts promotional content related to his work.
The prosecution accused Ziada of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news and information that would harm security and public order, and using a social media account to spread false news and statements.
Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada’s father amid demands from human rights activists for his release
30 August 2023
The Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to renew the detention of Gamal Ziada, the father of the journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, for 15 days pending investigations of lawsuit No. 2064 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
A security force arrested Ziada on August 22 after they asked him about his son and his journalistic work. The following day, he appeared before the prosecution, which accused him of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news and information that would harm security and public order, and using a social media account to spread false news and statements. Despite the accusations against him, the prosecution didn’t confront Ziada with any posts proving the accusation of spreading false news, as his Facebook profile is free of any political posts, and he only posts promotional materials for his work as a clothing workshop manager.
His son, Ziada, demanded his father’s release through a joint statement on Facebook, which many journalists and human rights defenders signed; they also called on the leaders of the National Dialogue and the Journalists Syndicate Council to put an end to the security targeting of journalists’ families.
Supreme State Security Prosecution decides to detains the father of activist and journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada for 15 days
23 August 2023
The Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to detain Gamal Ziada for 15 days, pending investigations of lawsuit No. 2064 of 2023 (Supreme State Security).
On August 22, a security force in civilian clothes arrested Ziada from Nahia village, Giza. He appeared in custody the following day against accusations of joining a terrorist group, spreading false news and information that would harm security and public order, and using a social media account to spread false news and statements. The security forces later transferred Ziada to the 10th of Ramadan prison.
Notably, the defendant is the father of human rights activist and journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, who documented many of the January 25 revolution’s events. He was also detained for nearly 500 days after filming the clashes between the police forces and students of Al-Azhar University.
According to AFTE’s lawyer, the prosecution didn’t confront Ziada with any posts proving the accusation of spreading false news, and according to a statement his son, Ahmed Ziada, posted on Facebook, his father manages a clothing workshop and his Facebook page only posts content related to his workshop as a way to promote his work and is free from any political content, and that his father never participated in any party, political, or collective activities throughout his life.
The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression condemns the continued abuse, which has not stopped for years, against the families of journalists and political activists, which varies between detention and security targeting because of their relatives’ political or human rights activities and calls on the Public Prosecutor to release Gamal Ziada immediately.
