Backlash over arrests of prominent journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and 33 human rights and press freedom organisations have condemned the recent arrests and enforced disappearance of four Egyptian journalists – Ashraf Omar, Khaled Mamdouh, Ramadan Gouida and Yasser Abu Al-Ela – and called for their immediate release. They also urged Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against the journalists, cease targeting them for their work, end the practice of concealing the status or location of those in custody, investigate allegations that at least two of the journalists were tortured or treated inhumanely, and hold those responsible accountable. This new wave of arrests highlights the troubling record of Egyptian authorities in targeting journalists and independent media, underscoring why Egypt has remained among the top 10 jailers of journalists worldwide in recent years, according to CPJ data.