Egypt to release hunger-striking Al Jazeera journalist

Egypt’s prosecutor general has ordered the release of Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Abdullah Elshamy on medical grounds, ending almost a year of imprisonment without charge.

Abdullahi Al Jazeera journalist

A statement from the prosecutor’s office on Monday said Elshamy, who has been on hunger strike since January, would be set free due to “health conditions.” The statement said 13 other people would be freed on the same grounds.

Elshamy, born in Egypt but raised in Nigeria, has been on hunger strike for 147 days in protest of his prolonged imprisonment without charge. He was arrested on 14 August 2013 while covering the violent dispersal of a sit-in by supporters of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who was overthrown by the army in July.

Commenting on the Egyptian prosecutor’s statement that Elshamy will be released, Al Jazeera spokesperson Osama Saeed said, “This is a relief rather than a cause for celebration. Abdullah has been through a terrible ordeal for over ten months. He’ll want to spend time with his family and recuperate. When he’s ready, we look forward to seeing him back in action, doing the vital job of journalism that he so clearly loves.”

Al Jazeera English journalists Peter Greste, Baher Mohammed and Mohammed Fahmy are still behind bars, and Al Jazeera continues to call for their freedom. A verdict in their case is due on 23 June 2014.

In a final plea from defence lawyers, the court yesterday was reminded that this “trial is not a trial for these defendants alone – but a trial of all journalists.”

Fahmy, who was allowed to address the judge before the case was adjourned, also said: “This case is a political case.”

Saeed said, “Yesterday was the final summation by the defense. Again the weaknesses of the prosecution case have been exposed. On the balance of arguments, Al Jazeera hopes the judge will take into consideration the facts presented to him and acquit Peter, Baher and Mohammed of any wrong doing. On June 23rd, the entire world will be watching Egypt to see whether they uphold the values of press freedom.”

Previous court dates have bizarrely included the prosecution showing footage of Sky News Arabia tourism reports, BBC podcasts, songs by Gotye, photoshopped images of Fahmy, Greste’s family photos, and some of Greste’s award-winning work from East Africa.

Calls for the release of the Al Jazeera staff have been made from the White House, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the European Union. Similarly public calls of support for the #FreeAJStaff campaign have been made from prominent media personalities with over 60,000 people supporting the #FreeAJStaff campaign, which has had over 1.2 billion impressions on Twitter. Various media freedom and human rights groups have also issued statements ranging from the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Press Institute, Amnesty International and The Foreign Correspondents Association of East Africa.

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Egypt to release hunger-striking Al Jazeera journalist

Prominent Egyptians call for freedom of jailed journalist Abdullah Elshamy

133 prominent Egyptians have signed a letter urging the release of detained Al Jazeera reporter Abdullah Elshamy.

There has been global interest in the cases of Al Jazeera’s detained journalists for months, with support inside Egypt itself building in recent weeks.

TV presenter Amr Adeeb said last week that ongoing incarcerations were wrong and were doing harm to Egypt’s image.

The signatories of the letter include actors, artists, TV presenters, authors and politicians. These include Dr. Amr Hamzawy, a university professor, former parliament member and newspaper columnist; Reem Majid, a talk show host on ON TV; Khalid Ali, a humanitarian activist, lawyer and former presidential candidate; and Mariam Naoum, a renowned screenwriter whose artwork has been shown in festivals like Venice Film Festival, Dubai Film Festival and Brussels Film Festival.

According to Egyptian media reports, the letter says of Elshamy: “He is a journalist on Al Jazeera and was arrested on 14 August 2013, while he was covering the dispersal of the Rab’aa sit-in. On 21 January 2014, he started a hunger strike in protest against his unlawful detention without any charges or evidence. His detention is being renewed continually; last time was on 3 May 2014 when he got another 45 days of detention.”

The letter is addressed to the National Council for Human Rights. “The council was founded by law, with the first article stating that it aims to enhance human rights, embed them, create awareness of them, and contributing to their practice. We demand this is applied to Abdullah Elshamy and Mohamed Sultan’s [another separate detainee] cases specifically. It is important the council visits them with an independent physician, and urges the authorities to free them immediately, moving them to a hospital until this happens. Two young men who have not been charged, one of them not even referred to court, are about to die in Egyptian prisons, and we hold you and ourselves as higher than standing by and watching this happen. If serious actions to save them are not to be made, we will do everything we can to escalate this and get them freed.”

Other signatories of the letter include poet Tamim AlBarghoothy; TV presenter Dina And ElRahman; actress Basma; lawyer and political activist Ziyad AlEleemy; screenwriter Azza Shalaby; journalist Naglaa Bedair, and writer and publisher Mohamed Hashem.

Separately, it has been reported in Egyptian media that humanitarian activist Dr. Aida Seif AlDawla and Dr. Layla Sowaif, a professor in the faculty of science in Cairo University, have announced they are on hunger strike in solidarity.

Al Jazeera spokesperson Osama Saeed commented: “We value each and every initiative supporting freedom for Abdullah and his right to proper medical care. The support Abdullah is getting from Egyptian society is noble, significant and is growing day-by-day. We reiterate our call to free Abdullah because journalism is not a crime.”

The Egyptian authorities have not provided access to Elshamy to verify reports he ended his hunger strike. His family and solicitor have expressed concern about his health and of what may have happened to him since he was placed in solitary confinement two weeks ago.

Four Al Jazeera journalists are being detained in Egypt in total. Al Jazeera English’s Peter Greste, Baher Mohammed and Mohammed Fahmy have been in captivity since 29 December 2013.

Prominent Egyptians call for freedom of jailed journalist Abdullah Elshamy

#SaveAbdullah: Egyptians speak out for detained Al Jazeera journalists

• #SaveAbdullah campaign launched to hospitalize and save life of hunger striking journalist

• Human rights activist calls for release

• TV anchor says the case is doing harm to Egypt

Prominent Egyptians have begun to call for the release of Al Jazeera’s journalists detained in their country.

The interventions come as Abdullah Elshamy was moved by the Egyptian authorities to an unknown location. Earlier his lawyer had asked the authorities to transfer him to hospital within 48 hours amid growing concerns for his life. He has been on hunger strike since 21 January 2014.

Hoda AbdelMoneim, head of AlHorreya Observatory for Detainees Rights, said today, “Abdullah Elshamy is asking for his rights in a fair trial. He is detained unlawfully and no charges have been filed against him, although Article 10 of the Declaration of Human Rights states that every individual has the right to be submitted to a fair independent court.”

She also urged civil society, in a press release today, to pressure for the release of Elshamy to save his life after he exceeded 110 days of hunger strike.

Tests on Elshamy’s blood and urine conducted in a private laboratory have indicated his life is in serious danger. Medical experts state that he is now suffering kidney dysfunction, severe anemia and low red blood cell count.

After the results, his family tweeted: “Put @abdallahelshamy in your prayers. He’s between God’s hands and could lose his life anytime.”

“Abdullah is running out of time. We demand that he is admitted to an independent hospital immediately. With experts saying he may die in few days, every journalist, every organization and every human has to do something to save this 26-year-old journalist,” said Al Jazeera spokesperson Osama Saeed.

Al Jazeera English’s detained trio are meanwhile due back in court on Thursday, 15 May 2014. In recent days, TV presenter Amr Adeeb called for the release of Al Jazeera’s staff, saying that press freedoms have to be upheld. Adeeb hosts a daily talk show “Al Qahera Al Youm” (Cairo Today) on the “Al Youm” (Today) channel. Speaking live on his show, he said, “I am against jailing any journalist based on his work, regardless of what he reports. And this case is causing us embarrassment globally. In every interview with any Egyptian official on a foreign platform, a question about it is asked. I am totally against this attitude, because if I approve of it, I might be doing some work in Doha and get arrested and can’t say a word. Whatever was being reported and sent by these guys [Al Jazeera’s journalists] – and I know many of you will be against what I am saying, and you also know that I have never been on good terms with Al Jazeera – but there are regulations all over the world: journalists and reporters have immunity, even if you do not like what they report or find it harmful. And if journalists are being jailed because they report in a way that does not appeal to governments, you would find half the journalists of the world in jail!”

#SaveAbdullah: Egyptians speak out for detained Al Jazeera journalists

From my prison cell - Arrested Aljazeera journalist in Egypt

The letter written by journalist Abdullah Elshamy from his Egyptian prison cell.

Aljazeera – At the end of October, some of us in cell 7/3 in Abuza’bal prison learned about the death of the mother of one of our colleagues in the same cell. What they did not know, however, was how to tell him about the death of his mother.

At the same time, another inmate, who is in his early twenties, heard that his first child was born but had to wait for weeks to see him at the monthly visiting time granted by the prison authorities.

Prison is a big tragedy in which the lives of people are brought to a standstill until further notice.  Some lose their fathers, wives or their jobs. The only space available to them in the world becomes only a few centimetres when lying, or two or three metres when standing.

On Tuesday night, May 5th, while I was spending my birthday sleeping, two prison guards came to my cell and asked me to accompany them to meet the officer in-charge at nine o’clock.

This was rather strange but later I found out that the prison authorities had received a message from the Minister’s Assistant for Prison Affairs, inquiring about my health situation.

This was followed by a visit by the same person in the morning of Wednesday, 6th May.

There was apparent confusion.  He was trying to convince me to put an end to my hunger strike, saying that it was ” a sin ” one time , or that ” Egypt needed me ” another time.  So I replied: “Egypt needs me to be in prison?”.

He continued talking about the importance of looking after my health, trying to be friendly by saying he would refer my case to the prosecutor and to the court as if that had not been done already.

The conversation lasted for half an hour, and then I ended it by saying: “You know and I know that my detention is to no avail, these are nothing more than arbitrary and groundless decisions.”

So he turned to the prison officers and said: “Place him under constant surveillance and examination”.

Although I do not know the reasons behind these two incidents, they are indications that victory is imminent. I may not have thought that things would come to a point of stubborn defiance between one individual and an entire regime which is afraid of him and are doing all they can to dissuade him.

It has come to my knowledge that the European Union wishes to monitor the coming elections and that its foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton is happy with the steps taken by Egypt toward democracy.

I am sure, deep down, she must realise that the basis for any democracy is the freedom of press.

So how can Ashton, I wonder, trust a democracy without a free press, at a time when I am facing a slow death alongside other journalists like Peter, Baher, Mohammad, Aladily, Sameh, and Shokan?

We are all journalists languishing in jail, without committing any wrongdoing.

Baroness Ashton, everything eventually comes to an end, and history will only perpetuate the courageous stands one takes. I think it is not too late to take one.

There is a saying that I had often heard in Nigeria from an old man: “One day, each person will get what’s pre-ordained for him”.

I believe that I am walking a path that will make the future better than the past. I am a story being written…it will be a happy one indeed.

Abdullah Elshamy

Tuesday 6th May

8:05pm

Tora Prison

From my prison cell - Arrested Aljazeera journalist in Egypt

Al Jazeera estimates losses in excess of $150 million

Al Jazeera Media Network has submitted an official notification of dispute to the interim Egyptian government. The network says it is relying on a Bilateral Treaty signed between the country in which it is headquartered, Qatar, and Egypt as the basis for its decision.

Al Jazeera has estimated losses of more than $150 million. As per the Bilateral Treaty, if no amicable settlement between Al Jazeera and the Egyptian authorities has been reached within six months, Al Jazeera will take the case to international arbitration.

Al Jazeera has been subjected to a sustained campaign of harassment, intimidation and jamming of its transmission, with Egyptian security forces raiding its offices, shutting it down and confiscating its equipment in addition to attacking its reputation.

Four Al Jazeera staff members have been detained in Egyptian jails. Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Abdullah ElShamy has been detained since August 2013, while Al Jazeera English correspondent Peter Greste has been detained since December 2013 with producers Baher Mohamed and Mohammed Fahmy.

For a timeline on the intimidation campaign against Al Jazeera in Egypt, please visit Al Jazeera

 

Al Jazeera estimates losses in excess of $150 million

Lagos mother of Nigerian-raised Al Jazeera journalist calls on Egypt to release her son

Further pressure has been piled on Egyptian authorities to release detained Al Jazeera journalist, Abdullah Elshamy, who has now been imprisoned for 253 days. The prosecutor for the case is expected to reach a decision this week on whether to release the 93-day hunger striker or renew his detention.

Speaking yesterday, 23 April 2014, Lagos-based Elshamy Nusehy Elshamy and Thuraya Elshamy said their son, Abdullah Elshamy, is fighting not for himself but for a free media.

Elshamy Nusehy Elshamy told Al Jazeera that despite concerns about the health of Abdullah, his family are right behind him in his hunger strike: “My son is now 253 days without being taken to court; his hunger strike is now more than 90 days. Abdullah is not on the hunger strike for himself; he is doing it to protect free journalism across the world. I call on the Egyptian authorities to free my son and Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed.”

He also went on to say: “My son is my new teacher; he sets a great example of how self-belief can make anyone stronger. I pray that he goes and wins this battle.”

Abdullah’s mother, Thuraya, said she supports her son’s fight for freedom. “I urge Abdullah to continue his hunger strike, because now it is not for himself, it is for freedom and for all his colleagues. My son is innocent and his loves his country of Egypt. He has always reported the truth; his motivation has always been humanitarian and professional causes.”

Both of his parents say they support their son’s hunger strike: “Our son has lost a lot of weight, but his strength is boosted everyday by the solidarity of his colleagues from all over the world.”

Born in Egypt but raised in Nigeria, Abdullah works as a West Africa correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic.

He is one of four Al Jazeera journalists detained in Egypt. Al Jazeera English correspondent Peter Greste and producers Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been detained since December 2013. Their trial was adjourned again this week until 3 May 2014.

Calls for their release have been made from the White House, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the European Union. Similarly public calls of support for the #FreeAJStaff campaign have been made from prominent media personalities with over 50,000 people supporting the #FreeAJStaff campaign, which has had over 1.1 billion impressions on twitter. Various media freedom and human rights groups have also issued statements, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Press Institute, Amnesty International and Foreign Correspondents’ Association of East Africa.

Naija Center News received this content from Al Jazeera Publicists: Africa, Please kindly republish to reach more people..

Lagos mother of Nigerian-raised Al Jazeera journalist calls on Egypt to release her son