Egyptian authorities have sentenced journalist Yasser Abu Al-Ela to 20 years in prison in absentia on charges of joining a terrorist organization and spreading false news. Abu Al-Ela, who was arrested on March 10, is currently already detained in an Egyptian prison for an unrelated case. His new sentence, which was handed down without his presence in court, has drawn widespread criticism for the lack of due process and the ongoing repression of journalists in the country.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the verdict, with Yeganeh Rezaian, CPJ’s interim Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, calling it a “disgrace” that highlights the harsh and unjust treatment of journalists in Egypt. “It is disgraceful that Egyptian authorities sentenced Yasser Abu Al-Ela to 20 years in absentia on terrorism and false news charges while he is already detained in an Egyptian prison for a separate case. This highlights the utter lack of due process in Egypt’s legal system, offering no protection for detained journalists,” Rezaian said. CPJ also noted that it was unable to confirm the exact date the sentence was issued.
Abu Al-Ela’s legal troubles began after his arrest earlier this year, during which he was reportedly subjected to 50 days of enforced disappearance and endured both physical and psychological torture, according to his own testimony.
In a separate incident, press freedom advocate Rasha Azab has accused Egyptian authorities, including the Interior Minister and the head of the National Security Agency, of orchestrating recent threats and surveillance against her. Azab, who has been vocal in advocating for press freedom and the release of detained journalists, claims that the threats culminated in the theft of her car on November 5. She believes the harassment is intended to intimidate her into abandoning her support for freedom of speech and journalists’ rights, especially after she participated in a protest in solidarity with Palestinians and detained Egyptian journalists.
“It is clear that these actions are meant to intimidate me into ceasing my support for freedom issues and for journalists, in particular,” Azab told CPJ. “My car went missing after the protest organized in solidarity with Palestinians and detained Egyptian journalists.”
CPJ reached out to Egypt’s Ministry of Interior for comment on both cases, but has not received a response.
The continued persecution of journalists and press freedom advocates in Egypt has drawn concern from international human rights organizations, with critics arguing that such actions stifle free speech and press independence. Both Abu Al-Ela’s sentencing and Azab’s ordeal underscore the growing climate of repression facing media professionals and activists in the country.
As Egypt faces increasing international scrutiny over its human rights record, the cases of Abu Al-Ela and Azab serve as stark reminders of the risks faced by those who speak out in defense of press freedom.
