There are more journalists imprisoned in Egypt this year than ever before as the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi continues to “use the pretext of national security to clamp down on dissent”, according to analysis by the Campaign to Protect Journalists.
The number of journalists imprisoned in Egypt at the start of December was 23 – up from 12 a year ago – making it the second worst country for jailing journalists in the world. It is the highest figure for Egypt since the CPJ began recording the number of journalists jailed and as recently as 2012 the country did not imprison any.
Turkey also dramatically increased the number of journalists it locked up during the year, doubling those in prison to 14.
In September, Egypt pardoned two al-Jazeera journalists, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, having arrested them in 2013 along with Australian colleague Peter Greste, who was deported last year. However, Egypt introduced a law in August making “false” reporting of terror attacks illegal and the CPJ said that “perhaps nowhere has the climate for the press deteriorated more rapidly than in Egypt”.
Prior to 2014, Turkey had been the world’s worst jailer of journalists, but last year released dozens. However, the country has launched a renewed clampdown on foreign reporting and locally based media as its battle with Syrian Islamic groups and Kurdish rebels has intensified. Turkish authorities continue to hold Vice journalist Mohammed Rasool, following his arrest in October along with UK-based colleagues Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, who were released in early September.
Egypt jails record number of journalists
15 December 2015
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President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi accused of using pretext of national security to clamp down on dissent as number imprisoned reaches 23 at start of December.
