Two more journalists summoned by military court

Hossam Al-Suwaifi, a reporter for the newspaper Al-Wafd, and Sayyid Abdel Ati, the editor of the newspaper’s weekly edition, were questioned by the military prosecutor’s office on 3 June about a 26 May article referring to a possible pact between the armed forces and the Muslim Brotherhood. They are the latest in a series of journalists to be summoned for interrogation by military prosecutors. Reporters Without Borders wrote to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces on 1 June voicing concern that such interrogations were becoming increasingly systematic (see below). ------------------------------------- 3.06.2011 - Military rulers urged to allow freedom of expression Reporters Without Borders called today on Egypt’s military regime to stop the “threats, arrests, interrogations and physical violence” it said the country’s journalists and bloggers had been subjected to in the months since the revolution that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak. The organisation said it feared that a media forum the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has convened on 5 June with the main political groupings and leading media figures taking part, would be used by the army to “dodge criticism of recent abuses for which it is heavily responsible.” It called on the Council to listen to the demands at the forum for media freedom and show new respect for the work of journalists. The Council says civil society organisations can submit their demands by fax. Reporters Without Borders, on June the 1st, has written (see attached letter) to the Council’s chairman, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussain Tantawi, expressing its concern at the abuses and asking him to guarantee complete freedom of expression. “Egypt must guarantee basic rights, especially freedom of expression, whatever the targets of public criticism, to help its transition to democracy. (...) If the army has a special status exempting it from criticism it will stand in the way.” Blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad was sentenced to three years in prison on 10 April, making him the country’s first prisoner of conscience since the revolution. He was accused of insulting the army, putting out “false news” and “disturbing public order” by questioning on his blog the apparent neutrality of the army during the anti-government protests in January and February. Reporters Without Borders has called for his immediate release. Recent arrests and violence against journalists in Egypt have led to a new climate of fear. Blogger Hossam Al-Hamalawy and journalists Rim Magued and Nabil Sharaf Al-Din were interrogated on 31 May for nearly three hours about their appearances on the station ON-TV. Al-Hamalawy, on Magued’s 26 May programme, had accused military police of violating human rights and Sharaf Al-Din talked the next day about the chances of an alliance between the Muslim Brotherhood and the army as part of a political transition. A hundred people demonstrated to condemn the trial of civilians by military courts and demanded total freedom of expression. The Reporters Without Borders letter noted that foreign minister Nabil al-Arabi said on 19 April that Egypt was trying to achieve the rule of law. “Respect for the rule of law and its supremacy requires an independent and impartial system of justice, not the arbitrary use of military courts,” it said. “Trying a civilian in a military court, which has no jurisdiction over him, is a violation of the right to a fair trial guaranteed by article 14 of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Egypt has ratified.” Amr Khajafa, editor of the newspaper El-Shorouk, and two of his journalists were interrogated by the national military court on 19 May about an article suggesting former President Hosni Mubarak could be amnestied which was said to contain lies and to be liable to create public unrest. Female blogger Botheina Kamel was summoned by the national military court on 15 May for interrogation after criticising the army on the station Nile TV. Other physical attacks and arrests recall the practices of the Mubarak years. Journalist Ali Said, of the magazine Radio wa Telvesa, was badly beaten by thugs on 30 March after an interview she did with actress Ietimad Khurshid, widow of the secret police chief under former President Gamal Adbel Nasser, talking about crimes ordered by Safwat Al-Sherif, former secretary-general of the then-ruling National Democratic Party and information minister for 22 years. Rasha Azab, of the weekly Al-Fagr, was arrested in Tahrir Square on 9 March, handcuffed, insulted and beaten by security forces, and taken to a building at the national museum. She appeared before the military prosecutor and was freed four hours later with five other journalists. Mahmoud Thabet, editor of the paper  Al-Masry Al-Youm, was physically attacked by police in Assiut on 16 April while filming a water pipe which had exploded. The police first tried to stop him filming, then beat him and stole his mobile phone and camera. He was taken to a police station and accused of instigating clashes with police.