Egypt: Human rights activist and journalist, Hamdi Taha arrested in Aswan

Egypt: Human rights activist and journalist, Hamdi Taha arrested in Aswan

Repressive measures against journalists and human rights activist have now become common currency in Egypt, where neither domestic nor international laws are respected. The latest victim of this quandary is Hamdi Taha, a 50 year-old journalist from Aswan who was arrested on 27 March 2010 after his home was raided at dawn by plain clothed State Security forces and the Central Security services. During the raid they terrorized his family members and locked them in their bedrooms.

This is not the first time Hamdi Taha has been arrested. Following the January 2010 floods across Sinai, the Red Sea and Aswan, Hamdi Taha uncovered a story of government corruption which he eventually published on several newspapers and websites across Egypt. He was immediately arbitrarily arrested under false pretenses and held without any further investigation.

Hamdi Taha, has been working as a journalist ins Egypt since 1993 and has published his work in many regional and Egyptian newspapers including “Al-Shaab”, “Al-Usra Al-Arabia”, and “Afaq Al-Arabia”. All three of these newspapers have since been shut down by the Egyptian authorities. Hamdi Taha is currently employed by “Al-Nahar”, an independent daily published in Cairo; “Al-Sid Al-Aaly”, the mouthpiece of the Nasserist Party in Aswan; “Aswan Al-Haditha”, a daily independent; while also working for websites such as “Ikhwan Online”; “Jarida Al-Shaab Al-Elektroniya”; “Hizb Al-Aml”; and “Jabiha Inqadh Masr”. He also works in cooperation with the Hisham Mubaraka Legal Center in Aswan for whom he reports human rights violations directly from the field.

The State Security Prosecutor in Aswan is currently investigating Hamdi Taha on suspicion of belonging to a banned organization, and as a threat to national security.

However, previous to this, Hamdi was presented before the Supreme State Security Prosecutor by his arresting officer and discovered that he was being accused of holding documents he had no idea of. He denied ever having obtained the documents or of having any knowledge of them, and called for an investigation against the arresting officers on charges of fraud. Eventually, the State Security Prosecutor ordered Hamdi Taha to 15 days imprisonment pending investigation at the Aswan police station.

Alkarama continues to follow Hamdi Taha’s case and take this opportunity to remind the Egyptian government of their obligations to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which it ratified on 14 January 1982.