Egyptian police detained satirical cartoonist Ashraf Omar at his residence in Cairo within the early hours of Monday, July 22, prompting outcries from journalist advocacy organizations and human rights activists calling for his rapid launch. Previous to his arrest, Omar had printed a number of cartoons within the unbiased newspaper Al-Manassa that took purpose at Egypt’s electrical energy cutbacks and the federal government’s financial technique.
He was additionally an energetic member of Egypt’s Revolutionary Socialists and wrote concerning the 2011 Egyptian Revolution that led to the tip of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule.
Omar’s spouse Nada Mogheeth, who was not residence when he was taken by authorities, instructed Al-Manassa (the place Omar additionally works as a translator) that safety footage from a digicam close to their property confirmed Egyptian forces “in civilian clothes” raiding their residence, blindfolding Omar, after which taking him to “an undisclosed location.” She additionally instructed the publication that when she returned to the house, she discovered that his pc, his mobile phone, and an unspecified sum of money have been lacking.
Al-Manassa has requested that Egypt’s Prosecutor Basic Mohamed Shawqi Ayaad, who was sworn in final September, difficulty a press release clarifying Omar’s detention standing and any prices that will have been introduced towards him.
Omar’s arrest shortly adopted that of journalist Khaled Mamdouh, who was “forcibly disappeared by safety forces” final week on accusations of disseminating false data and “being concerned in terrorism actions,” in accordance with a press launch from the Worldwide Federation of Journalists.
“The arrest of colleagues Ashraf Omar and Khaled Mamdouh inside per week marks a return to the follow of arresting journalists,” mentioned Khaled El-Balshy, chairman of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate. “The committee calls for an finish to the safety marketing campaign, which started focusing on and persecuting journalists for his or her opinions and journalistic work.”
Based on media watchdog Reporters With out Borders, there are at present 14 media professionals “unjustly imprisoned” in Egypt. The North African nation is ranked 170 out of 180 international locations within the group’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index, which measures world ranges of journalistic freedom.
