{"id":34723,"date":"2023-07-09T16:17:49","date_gmt":"2023-07-09T13:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afteegypt.org\/?p=34723"},"modified":"2023-07-09T16:34:32","modified_gmt":"2023-07-09T13:34:32","slug":"aftes-newsletter-may-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afteegypt.org\/en\/advocacy-en\/2023\/07\/09\/34723-afteegypt.html","title":{"rendered":"AFTE’s Newsletter: May 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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In May, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) monitored Egypt’s state and problems of freedom of thought and expression. Through its various units’ activities, AFTE issued its annual reports\u00a0and signed several joint statements with other human rights organizations.\u00a0<\/span>These activities take a\u00a0deeper look at the issues of freedom of thought and expression currently raised and provided legal aid to prisoners of conscience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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1. Publications<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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AFTE’s quarterly report<\/a>\u00a0sheds light on\u00a0the state of freedom of expression in Egypt through five main\u00a0categories:\u00a0Digital rights,\u00a0\u00a0Freedom of the press and media,\u00a0Academic freedom and student rights,\u00a0Freedom of creativity, and\u00a0Right to peaceful assembly. It\u00a0also documents violations in each category and provides recommendations in this regard.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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2. Statements<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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On World Press Freedom Day<\/a>; AFTE\u00a0stresses the need to promote press freedom, provide protection for journalists, and provide a legal environment that guarantees freedom of their work. It calls on the Egyptian authorities to stop using pretrial detention as a tool to punish journalists who deviate from the official narrative or criticize government policies.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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3. Joint Statements<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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AFTE and other\u00a0human rights organizations condemned in a joint statement<\/a> the arrest of at least eight family members and supporters of prospective presidential candidate Ahmed Tantawy, and the state prosecution\u2019s decision to place them in pretrial detention for fifteen days on various charges, including \u201cjoining a terrorist organization\u201d in Supreme State Security Case 2397 of 2021. Tantawy, former head of the Karama party, announced in April his intent to run in the presidential elections in 2024.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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After\u00a0the 13th Circuit of the Cairo Criminal Court decided to include 81 Egyptians on terrorism lists for a period of 5 years, including human rights defenders and political activists, AFTE declares in this statement<\/a> its rejection\u00a0of this persecution and revenge against the opposition and civil society as a whole. This is accompanied by campaigns of defamation, terrorism labelling, freezing of assets, and travel bans. The organizations demand that the names of all human rights and political activists on these lists be removed<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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AFTE and\u00a0The undersigned human rights organizations on this statement<\/a> condemn the continued arbitrary practices by the Higher Technological Institute (HTI) in the 10th of Ramadan City against the assistant professor at the institute\u2019s Mechanical Engineering Department at the 6th of October branch, Manar Al-Tantawy. They call for an immediate end to the repeated violations against her and the speedy implementation of the ruling issued in her favour to obtain a professor\u2019s degree.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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AFTE and the undersigned human rights organizations on this statement<\/a> condemn the decision of the 10th Circuit of the Cairo Criminal Court to include 1526 Egyptians on terrorism lists for an additional five years. We consider this five-year extension, which applies to political activists and human rights defenders, as indicative of the authorities\u2019 persistent deployment of counterterrorism legislation to deprive Egyptians of their basic rights, including the right to free movement or travel, as well as the right to dispose of their property and assets. Inclusion on terrorism lists also entails the deprivation of political rights and social stigmatization.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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4. Legal Aid<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

–\u00a0Behind prison bars since March 2018; Criminal Court renews detention of poet Jalal Al-Behairi<\/a>, author of \u201cBalaha\u201d song for 45 days pending his third lawsuit
\n–\u00a0Supreme State Security Prosecution renews the detention of two defendants<\/a> arrested from Cairo International Stadium for 15 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews Mohamed Abou El-Dahab and Ahmed Tawfiq<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days against calls for November 11 demonstrations
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews the detention of pensioner Salah Elqadi<\/a> for 45 days
\n– Cairo Criminal Court renews the detention of Mohamed Abdul Latif<\/a>, who will complete two years in pretrial detention within a few months, for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews Gaber Mahmoud Badawy\u2019s <\/a>detention for 45 days for calling for November 11 demonstrations
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews four defendants\u2019 detention<\/a> for 45 days against Facebook posts
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews Agricultural engineer Ashraf Elgamal\u2019s<\/a> detention for 45 days for posting about price hikes
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews the detention of lawyer Ahmed Nazeer El-Helw<\/a>, who has been in pretrial detention for six months, for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Despite exceeded a year and 3 months in pretrial detention; Criminal Court renews Mahmoud Hanfy Mohamed<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews the detention of 61 years old journalist Manal Agrama<\/a> for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renewed the detention of Socialist Popular Alliance Party member Wessam Salah<\/a> who had been detained for 15 months and forcibly disappeared for 50 days detention; for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews Mohamed Raafat Nasr<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Mohamed Abdel Qader, the uncle of potential presidential candidate Ahmed El-Tantawy,<\/a> released on 5,000 EGP bail
\n–\u00a0Master\u2019s student Moaaz Rizk<\/a> released on 3,000 EGP bail
\n–\u00a0Despite exceeding three years in pretrial detention; Criminal Court renews Hamed Sedeek\u2019s<\/a> detention for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Despite suffering from severe inflammation of the seventh nerve and the prison\u2019s refusal to refer him to a doctor; Criminal Court renews Sherif El-Rouby<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews Ahmed Moussa<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days despite exceeding maximum period of pretrial detention
\n–\u00a0Despite exceeding maximum period of pretrial detention; Criminal Court renews Ahmed Al-Tohamy<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews student Estshhad Kamal Rezk<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days despite exceeding the maximum period of pretrial detention
\n–\u00a0Jailed over a sarcastic video; Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of two content creators, Ahmed Tarek, and Basma Hegazy<\/a>, for 15 days
\n–\u00a0After being arrested from Cairo International Stadium, Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of two football fans<\/a> for 15 days
\n–\u00a0For posting about price hikes, the Supreme State Security Prosecution renews Mohsen Gamal<\/a>\u2019s detention for 15 days
\n–\u00a0Court of Cassation dismisses child Moka Hegazy<\/a>\u2019s appeal and upholds final sentence against her of two years in prison
\n–\u00a0After three years in pretrial detention, Criminal Court renews Marwa Arafa<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews student Mohamed Ahmed Saad<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days despite exceeding the maximum period of pretrial detention
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews journalist Karim Ebrahim<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days despite exceeding the maximum period of pretrial detention
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews Mohamed Mamdouh Abdel Halim<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days pending his second case
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews Moataz Bellah Hasab Elnaby<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days against Facebook posts
\n–\u00a0After exceeding a year in pretrial detention; Criminal Court renews Hala Fahmy<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews Amr Abdel-Moneim<\/a>\u2019s detention for 45 days despite exceeding the maximum period of pretrial detention
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews the detention of lawyer Saied Hassan Ali<\/a> for 45 days
\n–\u00a0Criminal Court renews the detention of four students<\/a> for 45 days for creating a sarcastic event on Facebook
\n–\u00a0For the 10th time, Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed the detention of Ahmed Tarek and Basma Hegazy<\/a> for 15 days over a sarcastic video<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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5. Campaigns\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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In conjunction with the start of the national dialogue sessions as a promising start\u00a0for ending political and social violations, AFTE discusses some of the important human rights issues, which you can look into here\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Between prison, pretrial detention, and reaccusing in other lawsuits,\u00a0the violations against journalists vary. On World Press Day, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression launched\u00a0a\u00a0#ForAFreePress<\/strong>\u00a0campaign calling on the Egyptian authorities to stop the\u00a0prosecution of journalists<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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