The German government expressed shock at the increasing number of people arrested in Egypt "just because they are practicing their legal work", and called for their immediate release.
The statement by the German Commissioner for Human Rights at the German Foreign Ministry, Purple Kofler, is in response to the imprisonment of researcher Patrick Zaki and lawyer Muhammad al-Baqir, and the condemnation of the publisher Khaled Lutfi by a military court.
"I am shocked by the increasing frequency of arresting people in Egypt just because they are practicing their legal work," Kofler said, noting that Patrick Zaki was arrested upon his arrival from Italy on February 7 and tortured, according to his lawyer.
"I am also shocked at the imprisonment of lawyer Mohammed Al-Baqer, who was arrested while practicing law, while the publisher Khaled Lotfi was sentenced to five years in prison by a military court for publishing an Arabic translation of a novel."
The German official cautioned that the Egyptian constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression and scientific research, to a fair trial and to artistic freedom. "I call on the Egyptian government to preserve these rights for its citizens in practice as well ... Zaki, Al-Baqir and Lotfi must not be in prison for practicing their profession, as citizens must be able to practice their legal professional activities without fear of prosecution."
Earlier, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International criticized the Egyptian authorities for the detention of Patrick George Zaki, researcher for the "Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights," and said this was a dangerous escalation of her campaign against human rights activists and organizations.