Ahmed Ramadan - Al Jazeera Net
The International Press Institute (IPI) called on the Egyptian authorities to release the journalist, Badr Mohamed Badr, after he appeared last Monday at the Supreme State Security Prosecution in Cairo, 83 days after his enforced disappearance.
And human rights sources revealed that Badr was under investigation in the Supreme State Security Prosecution last Monday, as he appeared to be in severe fatigue, and the prosecution decided to detain him for 15 days pending the investigation of a new case.
The family of journalist Badr Mohamed Badr made several requests to the Egyptian Attorney General and the Minister of Interior during this period, but they did not receive a response regarding his whereabouts, yet Badr appeared this week at the Supreme State Security Prosecution, after 83 days of his disappearance, according to the official Twitter page. Ex-parliamentarian Azza al-Jarf, wife of detained journalist Badr Muhammad Badr.
78 days, my husband, the journalist, Mr. Badr Muhammad Badr, is 61 years old, and he has been forcibly disappeared after arresting nearly 3 years without a visit. # Concealment_forced_criminal #course_not_criminal # where_candal_badr_mohammed_badr # right_the strongest and victorious pic.twitter.com/txFBPmySmn - Azza El-Garf (@AzzaElGarf) February 19, 2020 |
In a statement posted on its website, the institute denounced the inclusion of Badr in a new case by the Egyptian authorities, despite an order for his release from the Criminal Court in December.
"Egypt must release Badr Muhammad Badr immediately and end his harassment," said Scott Griffin, the institute's deputy director, stressing that his refusal to release him despite the court order, and the issuance of a decision to try him in a new case and prolonging his detention indicates a deep disregard for the rule of law.
In its statement, the institute quoted Jamal Eid, executive director of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, as saying, "The Supreme Court issued a decision to release Badr on December 3, 2019, before sending him on December 8, to the Cairo Police Department in preparation for the release." From him, as he has since disappeared. "
According to Eid, prison authorities prevented his wife from visiting him or providing him with the necessary medicines after he had suffered from many health problems, including heart disease, liver disease, and diabetes, and he was sent to the prison hospital while in detention in mid-2017.
For his part, Qutb Al-Arabi, head of the Arab Observatory for Media Freedom, said that the security authorities in Egypt are now filing new charges against journalist Badr Mohamed, despite his presence in prison, and he is one of at least 61 journalists currently being held by the Egyptian government, according to Institute data The International Press, which was gathered in cooperation with local human rights groups, according to the statement.
The Egyptian authorities arrested the journalist Badr Mohamed Badr in March 2017, for allegedly spreading false news and harming the country's reputation.
Bader is a member of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, and he worked as the editor-in-chief of Liwa Al-Islam magazine in 1988, then worked as a journalist for the Egyptian newspaper Al-Shaab starting in 1990, and in 2000 he took the position of editor-in-chief of the Afaq Arabia newspaper, and also worked as a reporter in a number of Arab media, including Al Jazeera Net.