Journalist Adel Sabri detained and charged for reporting on human rights

3 April 2019 marked a year of pre-trial detention of Egyptian journalist and human rights defender Adel Sabri. The human rights defender was detained on 3 April 2018 when a group of security officers from the Egyptian Ministry of Interior raided the headquarters of the Masr Al-Arabia news portal located in the city of Giza.

Adel Sabri is a journalist and member of the Egyptian Press Syndicate. He is the editor-in-chief of Masr Al-Arabia, a privately owned news website founded in 2014. It publishes on issues related to human rights and democracy, and disseminates information on the work of Egyptian and international human rights NGOs. Since conventional independent media has been repressed, Egyptian activists, students, journalists and general readers have come to rely on Masr Al-Arabia for international news, critical reports and op-eds on political and economic developments in Arabic.

On 3 April 2018 at around 3:30 pm, a group of security officers in plain clothes, working for the Ministry of Interior’s Department for the Investigation of Artistic Products and Intellectual Property Rights raided the premises of Masr Al-Arabia located in Dokki District, city of Giza. They searched the offices, confiscated computers, ordered the employees to leave the building and sealed its door with red wax. Adel Sabri was arrested and transferred to the Dokki Police station, where on 5 April 2018, the General Prosecution charged him with “publishing fake news”, “affiliation with a terrorist organisation with the purpose of undermining the political system”, “disseminating ideologies through text and images published on the Masr Al-Arabia news website to alter the constitutional and fundamental principles of the state”, and “inciting protests to harm public security and order”. The General Prosecution ordered his detention for 15 days pending further investigation in the case 4681/2018 at the Dokki Misdemeanor Court.

On 9 July 2018, Adel Sabri was released on a bail of 10,000 EGP (approx. 518 euros). Prior to the completion of the release procedures, the human rights defender was charged in another state security case 441/2018 with disseminating fake news and belonging to an illegal organisation. The pre-trial detention of the human rights defender was repeatedly renewed and he was transferred to several detention centres until finally being relocated to Al Qanatir Prison. There, he was informed about the death of his sister and mother, and denied the right to temporary release to attend the funeral.

Masr Al-Arabia, which had operated for 6 years before the shut down, remains closed, despite having provided proof of its legality. Adel Sabri is still detained and the unfounded attack on the media outlet has brought serious professional and financial damage to dozens of journalists and other employees of Masr Al-Arabia.

In 2018, the Law Regulating the Press, Media, and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation went into effect. The newly established Council was given the power to issue regulations on the activities of media outlets. New requirements for authorisation were formulated with reference to online media outlets. Upon this announcement, Masr Al-Arabia promptly submitted the required documents and paid the relevant fees in an unsuccessful effort to obtain official authorisation to reopen its headquarters and restart its peaceful activities in defence of human rights and democracy in Egypt.

Front Line Defenders expresses its concern about the continued ban on the activities of Masr Al-Arabia and the ongoing pre-trial detention of human rights defender Adel Sabri, and believes that the charges pressed against him are solely motivated by his legitimate and peaceful activities in defence of human rights and democracy.