Over the past decade, the independent Egyptian press, renowned in the Middle East and North Africa, has teetered on the brink of extinction.

Enduring its most severe conditions in half a century, it grapples with an unparalleled government-led crackdown under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, marking a dark chapter in its history.

Although the Egyptian president has emphasized "political openness and national dialogue," recent weeks have proven challenging for independent journalists, as a fresh security crackdown has commenced, targeting the few remaining voices that dare to speak out on public matters.

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) strongly denounces the escalating Egyptian security operations against independent journalists, as well as the manipulation of judicial bodies to criminalize journalistic activities in a country that holds the disheartening distinction of being the worst in the world for arresting and imprisoning journalists. It is imperative that the authorities promptly and unequivocally release all detained journalists, and put an end to the systematic persecution and intimidation they face.  

In a concerning crackdown on press freedoms, Egyptian authorities have recently detained several journalists. On July 22, Ashraf Omar, a journalist and cartoonist working for the Al-Manassa website, was arrested from his residence. Similarly, on July 16, Khaled Mamdouh, a journalist affiliated with Arabi Post, was apprehended from his home.

These journalists were subjected to enforced disappearance, with their whereabouts unknown to their families for a period of two to five days before they were presented to the State Security Prosecution. During this time, their loved ones were left in the dark, unable to establish contact or determine their status. Once brought before the authorities, the journalists were then detained for 15 days pending investigations - a timeframe that is routinely extended upon its expiry, further prolonging their incarceration.

In June, journalist Ramadan Gweida Shehata from the Al-Youm news website resurfaced after being forcibly disappeared for 40 days. Shehata was kidnapped from the Menoufia governorate on May 1. Since then, his detention has been repeatedly renewed every 15 days by the authorities.

Another concerning case is that of journalist Yasser Abu Al-Aula from the Afaq Arabiya newspaper. Abu Al-Aula was arrested on March 10 from his home. After 50 days of his family searching for him in vain, his wife Naglaa Fathy and her sister Asmaa were also arrested. This left their four children, along with their elderly mother, without a primary breadwinner.

According to Abu Al-Aula's lawyer, no one can currently visit him because his wife and sister-in-law are also being detained. The authorities brought Abu Al-Aula before the prosecution about two months after his initial arrest, and since then his detention has been repeatedly renewed every 15 days, along with the detention of his wife.

Notably, Yahya Hussein Abdel Hadi, a prominent politician and writer, was arrested on July 31 as he was en route to participate in a symposium for a newly emerging political party. Abdel Hadi, known as the founder of the Civil Democratic Movement, had faced arrest previously in 2019, leading to a four-year prison sentence. He was subsequently released in 2022 through a presidential pardon.

"Women Journalists Without Chains" has issued a stark warning, asserting that the recent surge in journalist and public speaker arrests signals the initiation of a calculated security operation aimed at extinguishing the last glimmers of independent journalism in the nation.
The organization stated, "The synchronicity of this security crackdown with the 'National Dialogue' sessions serves to highlight that the Egyptian president is leveraging dialogue as a facade to bolster the reputation of a regime deeply entrenched in human rights transgressions, while driving the independent press towards a state of hopelessness about fulfilling its crucial role."

Back in March, several individuals, including journalists, were detained for participating in an event organized by Egyptian female journalists to protest at the Journalists Syndicate, rallying under the banner "Bread and Salt" in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Following the subsequent wave of harassment and arrests, these activities were abruptly halted.

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