On Monday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi arrived in Paris for an official visit where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Last month we posted an article about Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid (known as Shawkan) who was arrested (with other people and journalists, read the report by Amnesty International) for taking photographs during the sit-in at Rabaa in 2013. His trial has once again been postponed and he is in very poor health.
Yesterday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) staged a demonstration at the Luxor Obelisk in Place de la Concorde in Paris in protest against Egypt’s disastrous press freedom record.
A call to @EmmanuelMacron: @RSF_en #Paris protesting against #Egypt’s disastrous #pressfreedom record #SaveEgyptianJournalists #FreeShawkan pic.twitter.com/22WcMdlUgp
— MagkaSama Project (@MagkaSama) October 24, 2017
We can read on their website:
President Sisi’s visit has coincided with an unprecedented crackdown on Egyptian civil society in the name of combatting terrorism. Along with human rights activists, journalists are being persecuted because of the regime’s refusal to tolerate any criticism or questioning. Public debate is non-existent. Censorship and self-censorship are the rule.
Sixteen journalists are currently in prison. Some are awaiting verdicts in drawn-out trials that keep on being adjourned. Others are being mistreated. All of them were arrested just for doing their job.
Later that day, Emmanuel Macron and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attended a news conference at the Elysee Palace. We were expecting more by the French President but who turned a blind eye to the increasing violations of freedoms by Sisi’s government. We tweeted about it:
Pres. @EmmanuelMacron was asked about #PressFreedom #HumanRights by @Qofficiel during his joined press conference with Pres. @AlsisiOfficial
— MagkaSama Project (@MagkaSama) October 24, 2017
Fighting #terrorism and extremism is one thing but #HumanRights shouldn't be context-dependent, the #UDHR is _universal_ not _contextual_
— MagkaSama Project (@MagkaSama) October 24, 2017
It's not abt being 'moralistic, sanctimonious or self-righteous' as stated by @EmmanuelMacron, it's abt defending #HumanRights #PressFreedom
— MagkaSama Project (@MagkaSama) October 24, 2017
Taking a stand on these issues would give disruptive Pres. @EmmanuelMacron a great opportunity to differentiate him from his predecessors
— MagkaSama Project (@MagkaSama) October 24, 2017
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch also shared the same concern:
Macron gets it wrong. It's not about "lecturing" Sisi on rights. It's about standing up for repressed Egyptians. https://t.co/jLMMj8DcrW pic.twitter.com/1g5KMl9kX9
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) October 25, 2017
You can support Shawkan by signing the petition by Amnesty International:
Egyptian photojournalist at risk of death penalty. Taking pictures is not a crime. Sign petition to #FreeShawkan https://t.co/ev7tIK3VF7 pic.twitter.com/XgEpEC2Dk9
— Amnesty International Tower Hamlets & Newham (@AITowerHamlets) October 14, 2017
