Cairo 21 January, 2019
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) said today that it has filed a complaint to Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadiq against Counselor Khalid Diaa in his capacity as Attorney-General of the State Security Prosecution for violating the law and the continued detention of journalist Hisham Jaafar beyond the legally authorized period, as well as depriving him of prison visits for over a year.
ANHRI said in its complaint registered as communique No. 914 of 2019 Public Prosecution: “The ongoing detention of journalist Hisham Jaafar for 39 months contravenes the provisions of Article 143 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which explicitly states that any defendant must be released in the period of pre-trial detention if his detention exceeds two years. Hisham Jaafar was imprisoned for three years and three months, therefore the Attorney-General of the State Security Prosecution is in violation of the law and should be held accountable.
In its complaint to the Public Prosecutor, ANHRI called on him, in his capacity as the direct head of the Attorney-General, to take the necessary legal measures and to open an investigation with him into two incidents: the first is the ongoing detention of journalist Hisham Jaafar for more than 39 months, in violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and second: the attempted murder of Jaafar by depriving him of visit permits for more than 12 months and denying him appropriate medical treatment, especially as he suffers from impaired vision and is at risk of renal failure.
On Wednesday, October 21, 2015, Hisham Jaafar, a journalist and the Executive Director of Mada Foundation for Media Development, was arrested by police forces and national security forces, following the storming of Mada Foundation for Media Development in the 6th of October area. He disappeared for 48 hours after security forces took him to an undisclosed location. His lawyer found him by chance in the Supreme State Security Prosecution, charged with the usual charges of joining a banned group, pending case No. 720 of 2015 State Security.
Ever since, his pre-trial detention has been renewed despite exceeding the maximum legal limit for pre-trial detention, in disregard of the law and the constitution. The situation is aggravated by the fact that such violations are committed by the second man in the Public Prosecution in Egypt.
Related information:
