An Egyptian court extends detention of former senior state TV presenter and rights defender Hala Fahmy, ignoring reported violations against her, reported Committee for Justice (CFJ).
Egypt’s Badr Criminal Court has decided to renew the detention of journalist, human rights activist, and defender of workers’ rights at Maspero (Egyptian Radio and TV headquarters), Hala Fahmy, pending Case No. 441 of 2022 State Security, according to CFJ.
The Consultation Chamber of the Badr Criminal Court, held at the Badr Prison Complex, has decided to renew the imprisonment of journalist, media figure, human rights activist, and defender
of the rights of Maspero (Egyptian Radio and TV headquarters) workers, Hala Fahmy, pending Case No. 441 of 2022 State Security.
During the session, which was held on Sunday, July 9, 2023, Fahmy reported to the judge that she suffers from frequent physical assaults, as well as verbal abuse and threats from the administration of the 10th of Ramadan Prison – where she was recently transferred. She was also threatened with murder by the head of her cell, who is imprisoned on criminal charges.
Fahmy asserted that the prison administration refused to document the complaint, in violation of Article 80 of the Prisons Regulation Law, which states:
“The prison director or their representative must accept any serious complaint from the inmate, whether verbal or written, and report it to the public prosecutor or the competent authority after documenting it in the complaint register.”
The Egyptian TV media figure, Fahmy, was arrested on April 24, 2022. According to her statements during the investigation sessions, she was abused and insulted during her arrest.
Violations against her continued as a detainee inside Al Qanater Women Prison. In previous complaints during investigation sessions or in court, Fahmy stated that the violations against her varied; she was forced to sleep on the floor despite the availability of a vacant bed, forced to walk barefoot in the cell block, leading to achy bones and joints, in addition to being prevented from reading, writing, visiting the prison library, exercising for an entire month, and other prisoners were banned from speaking to her.
Also, she was not relocated to another ward than the crowded “Irad ward”, which lacks adequate ventilation and, as she describes, is not fit for human use.
CFJ condemned the court’s and prison administration’s disregard of the numerous complaints of journalist and rights activist Fahmy. CFJ alsi demanded an end to such treatment, and called for investigations, accountability, and immediate release or a fair trial for Fahmy, along with adequate prison conditions to protect her basic human rights.
Rights groups call on UN to intervene
In the same context, several human rights organizations have recently called on United Nations mechanisms to intervene to halt grave violations of the right to peaceful assembly in Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
They emphasized the need to take all necessary measures to address these violations and ensure that these countries respect and protect the fundamental human right to peaceful assembly.
In a letter addressed to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, the organizations highlighted the repeated suppression of peaceful protests and gatherings by the authorities in Egypt, which often led to the arrest, detention, and torture of activists and demonstrators.
They also mentioned the legislation enacted by the authorities that severely restricts the right to peaceful assembly and expression, effectively criminalizing all forms of protest.
