- EGYPT
- October 28, 2017
- 2 minutes read
Journalists in Harsh Junta Jail Start Hunger-Strike to Protest Ill-Treatment, Rights Violations
Detained journalist Hisham Gaafar and his colleague Hassan Kabany started a hunger-strike Wednesday to protest their continued pretrial detention in violation of the law, since that exceeded the maximum legal period of remand in custody.
Kabany, who is in custody for the so-called "Communicating with Norway" case, has spent almost three full years in pretrial detention at Egypt’s harshest and most notorious prison, although the maximum period of such "custody", according to the law, is two years.
For its part, Kabany’s family announced in a statement today that it rejected the continued imprisonment of journalist Hisham Gaafar in contravention of the law, since the period of "preventive detention" was completed fully. It also rejected persecution and humiliation of the photographer Mahmoud Shukan, who has also spent in junta jails a period of pretrial detention beyond the provisions of the law.
Kabany’s family called for support for Hassan and his fellow journalists who are currently being held illegally after their term of pretrial custody came to an end. It also called for rights organizations to help apply pressure to release them, so they could resume their work as professional journalists. #الصحافة_ليست_جريمة (Journalism is not a crime.)
