Al-Sisi led military government in Egypt imprisoned Al Jazeera journalists who were covering brutalities of security forces on demonstrators supporting deposed Egypt’s first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi. International media community heavily citizen Egypt’s incumbent government for putting journalists behind bars, calling the move against press freedom. Considering deteriorating condition of journalist Abdullah Elshamy, India’s Egypt Solidarity Forum demanded immediate release of him from prison. Reproduced below is the press release. – Editor
Press Release:
India’s Egypt Solidarity Forum expresses its serious concern over deteriorating health condition of jailed Al-Jazeera journalist Abdullah Elshamy whom Egyptian authorities have put in jail since 269 days. Alshamy has been moved to an undisclosed location according to Al-Jazeera sources. His serious health condition has worried his family and media fraternity. Abdullah Alshamy was on hunger strike against ill treatment and illegal arrest of Al-Jazeera staff after military coup in July 2013.
Egyptian authorities had heavily cracked down on Egyptian media banning many media outlets and arresting scores of journalists on fictitious charges of supporting terrorism. Three Al-Jazeera journalists, Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohammed are also in Egyptian jails for 133 days. Many of them have not been allowed to meet their families and lawyers and have not been provided a fair trial also, along with torture in their jails.
International media organizations and press freedom activists have been raising their voice for immediate release of all Al-Jazeera journalists. Indian media organizations and journalists’ support for rights of Egyptians journalists and detained Al-Jazeera journalists will be a major support to the struggle for their release. Egypt Solidarity Forum appeals all Indian journalists’ unions and media outlets as well as media personalities to express their solidarity with Egyptian journalists on hunger strike in Egyptian jails and to demand Egyptian authorities for their immediate release.
Egypt Solidarity Forum, New Delhi
