Égypte-actualités

A colleague says a Dutch journalist has been arrested by Egyptian citizens while reporting in Cairo, accused of being a spy and handed to authorities who detained her overnight.The Netherlands Embassy confirmed on Tuesday that Rena Netjes had been arrested the day before. An Egyptian security official said she will be interrogated by prosecutors. He spoke on anonymously because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

 

Egypt's government warned citizens in TV public announcements aired last year against talking to foreigners who they said may be spies. Last month, authorities encouraged civilians to arrest lawbreakers.

 

More on: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/04/09/2812772/dutch-reporter-held-in-egypt-accused.html

Khaled Meery, a member of the Journalists Syndicate board, said his group had rejected an apology from the Muslim Brotherhood for the assault of peers covering a Brotherhood protest at its headquarters in Moqattam on Saturday.Meery said the Brotherhood refused to hold anyone responsible for the attack that injured several protesters and journalists. In a phone interview with ONtv satellite channel Thursday, Meery said, "We have several alternatives if the Public Prosecution does not find the attackers guilty — whether in regards to reporters who have died of late doing their jobs, the assault on journalists in front of the Supreme Guidance Bureau or even violence against us in general."He added that members of the syndicate board, which held a meeting extending into the early hours of Thursday, are calling on the Public Prosecution to implement speedy investigations into the numerous recent incidents where journalists have been targeted. Al-Masry Al-Youm, via Egypt independentMore : http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/journalists-syndicate-rejects-brotherhood-apology-reporter-assaults

C’est le candidat Diaa Rashwan, directeur du Centre des Etudes Politiques et Stratégiques (CEPS) d’Al-Ahram, qui a remporté la présidence du syndicat des Journalistes avec 1280 voix contre 1015 voix pour son principal concurrent Abdel-Mohsen Salama, directeur de rédaction du quotidien de la même fondation. « Les journalistes ont voté aujourd’hui pour la liberté et l’indépendance de la presse, pour la défense de leur métier et leur patrie », c’est par ces mots que Rashwan s’est adressé aux membres de l’assemblée générale après l’annonce de sa victoire. Le candidat gagnant a promis de défendre la « dignité et la liberté » de ses collègues face à la « campagne féroce menée par ceux qui cherchent à les museler ».

May Al-Maghrabi / Al-Ahram Hebdo

Plus : http://hebdo.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/966/1/130/2054/Syndicat-des-Journalistes-La-victoire-de-l%E2%80%99ind%C3%A9pen.aspx

Le Procureur général Talaat Abdullah a officiellement fait citer les 3 gardes du siège de la confrérie des FM de Mokattam pour une confrontation avec les 6 journalistes agressés devant les bureaux.

 

Salem Abu Deif has been sitting in the lobby of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate (EJS) for weeks. The simple farmer from the governorate of Sohag, 467km south of Cairo, says he has not received any answers over the death of brother Al Hussaini Abu Deif, a journalist working for the Al Fagrnewspaper.

 

Salem believes there has been a conspiracy by the EJS to cover up his brother’s death and the deaths of several other people who have taken public stances against the government of President Mohammad Mursi.

When official forensics report finally emerged over Al Hussaini’s death, his family was not satisfied.

“The report does not coincide with reality,” Salem told Gulf News.

 

Al Hussaini was filming protests between supporters and opponents of Mursi on December 6, 2012 near the Presidential Palace. The official report from Salah Abdul Maqsoud, Egypt’s Minister of Information, said that Al Hussaini was standing amongst Mursi supporters when he was shot.

Abdul Maqsoud is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and also a prominent member of EJS.

 

Yasser Ali, a former presidential spokesman, wrote in the Washington Post on January 16 that Al Hussaini was killed by the same bullet that killed Mursi supporters.

 

More on: http://gulfnews.com/news/region/egypt/accusations-and-lies-fly-over-journalist-s-death-1.1156271

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), expresses it severe concerns to the disappearance of Mohamed El-Sawyi, the journalist in Masrawy, who was kidnapped on Wednesday February 20, 2013, according to his fiancée.

 

Mohamed El-Sawyi is a journalist working in Masrawy website, he left the house of his sister in Dar El-Salam in Cairo in his way to 10th of Ramadan city, where his fiancée lived, but he disappeared since then and non of the attempts of his family members or colleagues to find him in the hospitals and police stations without knowing any information, while his fiancée received a telephone call from him on Thursday 21 February, in which he asserted on that he was kidnapped from the station of 10th of Ramdan and asked her to report to the police.

 

ANHRI said that “the circumstances surrounded the disappearance of El-Sawyi, call for concerns fearing that his life could be in risk, which requires the authorities to intensify its efforts to reach his place and reveal the identity of the kidnappers”.

 

ANHRI repeatedly expressed its severe annoyance regarding the escalation of targeting the journalists and media-professionals in different forms of assaults on the background of their work, which threatens that Egypt will join the list of the most dangerous countries of journalistic work.

 

More on: http://www.anhri.net/en/?p=11384

The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned last Sunday’s attack on journalists by state-run Al-Ahram security personnel on Wednesday. The journalists held a meeting with the chairman of Al-Ahram’s board of directors Mamdouh Al-Wali to discuss a solution surrounding the current newspaper crisis in Egypt last Saturday.

The ANHRI said the protesters were originally there to discuss how to deal with the problems that arose from the closure of newspapers and the loss in salaries, as well as the promised allowances by the Press Syndicate for those who had lost their jobs and relocation of employment to other state-run newspapers. Al-Wali previously agreed to several of their demands but had continuously stalled on signing an agreement. As a result, those attending the meetings called for a sit-in to pressure him.

According to the ANHRI, Al-Wali informed the Bulaq Abul Ela police station of the sit-in, and added that the protesters had attempted to storm his office. Al-Ahram security personnel reportedly threatened to use force on the protesters and at one point they were beaten after security guards turned off the lights. The police, the ANHRI said, did not respond to the protesters’ calls for help and the protesters were subsequently removed by force.

 

More : http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/02/13/anhri-condemns-attack-on-journalists/

The government of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi continues to escalate its offensive against journalists. Details of the most recent case, in which an arrest warrant was issued for blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah for inciting "aggression" against members of the Muslim Brotherhood, show how low the government is willing to go in order to silence its critics.

Abdel Fattah went voluntarily Tuesday to the office of Prosecutor General Talaat Abdullah after hearing about the warrant against him in the media. What followed was a mockery. According to his testimony, the questions he received were all about comments by others posted on his Twitter and Facebook accounts, not about things he said or did. There was no evidence, witnesses, or even a sign of prior investigation by police. Their focus was on a Twitter mentionof his user name by another Twitterer, going by the handle Princess Joumana. The naïve members of the Muslim Brotherhood who filed the complaint against Abdel Fattah apparently thought the interaction on social media was a conspiracy involving a real princess--possibly from a hostile government such as that of the United Arab Emirates, where Brotherhood members are being put on trial.

 

CPJ

More : http://www.cpj.org/blog/2013/03/in-egypt-crackdown-against-media-reaches-new-lows.php?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

The Journalists Syndicate decided Saturday to distribute special uniforms to journalists covering clashes, in order to distinguish them from other participants and prevent attacks.

Syndicate head Diaa Rashwan told the Al-Hayat satellite channel that the move comes after journalists were attacked during the Moqattam clashes Friday, saying the group would take legal measures against the assailants regardless of their political affiliations.

He added that the group had already filed reports against three Muslim Brotherhood members for attacking journalists, saying that they have yet to be arrested.

News reports said that several reporters were attacked by Brotherhood members defending the group’s headquarters from opposition protesters in the Moqattam neighborhood of Cairo last week. The clashes erupted after protesters sprayed anti-Brotherhood graffiti nearby.

 

Egypt independent

 

At least 14 journalists were attacked by police and supporters of Egypt'sMuslim Brotherhood group in Cairo at the weekend.

The reporters were covering clashes outside the group's headquarters following attempts by anti-Brotherhood demonstrators to spray graffiti on the building.

Sky News correspondent Rofida Atef told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that four journalists in her crew were attacked and had their camera destroyed.

 

The Guardian

More : http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2013/mar/20/journalist-safety-egypt

Reporters sans frontières exprime sa vive inquiétude quant aux poursuites lancées à l’encontre de la journaliste Dina Abdel Fattah, un cas révélateur de la dégradation de la liberté de l’information dans le pays.

Présentatrice de l’émission politique “Al-Shaab Yourid” (“Le peuple veut”) diffusée sur la chaîne Al-Tahrir, la journaliste fait l’objet d’une enquête pour avoir fait venir sur le plateau de son émission des membres des “Black Bloc”, un mouvement de protestation né récemment, devenu la bête noire des autorités égyptiennes. Dina Abdel Fattah a été convoquée par le bureau du Procureur général pour un interrogatoire le 10 février 2013, en compagnie de son collègue le journaliste Khairi Hassan, l’un des producteurs de l’émission. Ils ont tous deux été relâchés le jour-même, moyennant une caution de 5 000 livres égyptiennes (570 euros) chacun, versée par le syndicat des journalistes.

Le Procureur a ouvert une enquête pour “promotion du terrorisme”, affirmant avoir reçu alors 238 plaintes contre la journaliste dans cette même affaire. Des membres du Conseil de la Shura (la Chambre du Parlement), qui ont dénoncé l’émission, la qualifiant de “menace pour l’ordre public” et “d’incitation au vandalisme”, ont également déposé plainte. De nombreux journalistes, ONG et avocats ont aussitôt pris la défense de la journaliste.

Reporters sans frontières exige l’abandon de l’enquête visant Dina Abdel Fattah. “Nous dénonçons les mesures liberticides prises par l’administration égyptienne à l’encontre des professionnels des médias. Ces derniers doivent pouvoir couvrir les nouveaux mouvements de protestation qui secouent le pays, que cela plaise aux autorités ou non. Bâillonner la presse renforce l’instabilité. Depuis l’élection de Mohamed Morsi, le nombre de plaintes à l’encontre de journalistes a littéralement explosé. Les enquêtes et procès visent clairement à restreindre la liberté de l’information. Nous demandons aux autorités de mettre un terme à la politique de répression vis-à-vis des journalistes et acteurs de l’information”, a déclaré l’organisation.

Le 24 février dernier, après l’annulation de son programme “Al-Shaab Yourid” par la direction de la chaîne, Dina Abdel Fattah a annoncé sa démission, entendant ainsi protester contre la violation de la liberté de l’information dont elle est victime. D’après le président du Syndicat Egyptien des Médias, Al-Sayed El-Shazli, il est probable que les autorités aient intimé l’ordre à la direction d’Al-Tahrir de ne pas diffuser l’émission.

La chaîne égyptienne, née au lendemain de la révolution de 2011, avait à ses débuts l’ambition d’incarner les aspirations des révolutions arabes. Elle a pourtant connu un changement de sa politique éditoriale, et perdu dans le même temps certaines de ses figures emblématiques, qui ont toutes choisi de démissionner : Mahmoud Saad, Belal Fadl, Amr El-Leithy, Hamdy Kandeel, Doaa Sultan,Ibrahim Eissa, Dina Abdel Rahman et enfin Dina Abdel Fattah.

Reporters sans frontières rappelle que l’Egypte est classée 158ème sur 179 pays dans le classement mondial de la liberté de la presse publié par l’organisation cette année.

 http://fr.rsf.org/egypte-une-journaliste-accusee-de-14-03-2013,44208.html

Hours before nearly 6,000 journalists head to the polls, the streets of downtown Cairo — where the headquarters of most private and state newspapers are situated — are filled with posters bearing the faces of candidates.  

Friday’s Journalists Syndicate elections will determine the new head of a syndicate that has arguably the strongest impact on public opinion, as well as six of its 12 board members.

The elections should have taken place next October 2013, according to a law that states that the syndicate elections must be held every two years. But strident discord between the Brotherhood-backed CEO of state-run Al-Ahram newspaper, Mamdouh al-Wali, and the rest of the leftist-leaning board have rendered the body virtually dysfunctional. Syndicate members demanded early elections.  

Observers say that after failing to control the syndicate through a Brotherhood-friendly chairman, the Brothers are likely to back a state-affiliated candidate who has a demonstrated history of aligning himself with the regime.

The frontrunners for post are Abdel Mohsen Salama, managing editor of Al-Ahram newspaper, and Diaa Rashwan, the head of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic studies.

“Wali won the last elections because he belongs to Al-Ahram, but now with the two candidates closest to the seat being sons of the institution, the Brotherhood is more likely to prefer Salama — he is one of the journalists who belong to the state by nature,” claims journalist Khaled Al-Balshy, who is running for one of the board seats.

 “Today, the Brotherhood is the state,” he added. (Egypt independent)

 

More : http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/2013-journalists-syndicate-elections-back-old-rules-game

A broadcaster for Egyptian state television was found dead with his throat cut in his central Cairo home after disappearing following his participation in recent protests on the second anniversary of the revolution, police told Efe on Wednesday.

Abdou Abbas, a host for sports programs, had gone missing about 20 days ago after taking part in opposition demonstrations before the Etihadiya presidential palace in the Cairo neighborhood of Heliopolis.

Friends of the 48-year-old Abbas reported his disappearance to police three days ago.

At present, the motives for Abbas’s murder are not known.

Abbas often participated in opposition protests in Tahrir Square or before the presidential palace, according to media accounts

(AFP, via Challenges) - Un journaliste égyptien traduit devant un tribunal militaire après son arrestation dans un secteur militaire à Rafah, à la frontière avec la bande de Gaza, a été mis en liberté provisoire mercredi en attendant la reprise de son procès, a-t-on appris auprès de son avocat.

Mohamed Sabry, journaliste-photographe indépendant et blogueur, a été arrêté vendredi dernier par les forces armées à Rafah et accusé d'avoir pris des photos dans une zone militaire interdite.

Il a ensuite été transféré à Ismaïliya (nord-est) où il a comparu mercredi devant un tribunal militaire. Le procureur a décidé sa mise en liberté provisoire d'ici une nouvelle audience mardi prochain, a indiqué à l'AFP un de ses avocats, Me Mohamad Hanafi.

L'organisation de défense des droits de l'Homme Amnesty International avait demandé mardi la mise en liberté et l'abandon des poursuites contre ce journaliste qui réalisait une enquête pour l'agence Reuters, redoutant "un procès inéquitable devant une juridiction militaire pour la simple raison qu'il faisait son travail".

Amnesty a dénoncé à cette occasion le fait que la nouvelle Constitution égyptienne, adoptée par référendum le mois dernier, continue de permettre la tenue de procès militaires pour des civils.