Washington, D.C., November 13, 2024—Egyptian authorities sentenced in absentia journalist Yasser Abu Al-Ela to 25 years in prison on Sunday, November 10, on charges of joining a terrorist organization and spreading false news. Separately, press freedom advocate Rasha Azab accused the Interior Minister and the head of the National Security Agency of orchestrating recent threats against her and surveilling her movements, which culminated in the theft of her car on November 5.
“It is disgraceful that Egyptian authorities sentenced Yasser Abu Al-Ela to 25 years in absentia on terrorism and false news charges while he is already detained in an Egyptian prison for a separate case. This highlights the utter lack of due process in Egypt’s legal system, offering no protection for detained journalists,” said Yeganeh Rezaian, CPJ’s interim Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “The ongoing threats and harassment against press freedom advocate Rasha Azab serve as yet another stark reminder of the heavy price that those who defend press freedom in Egypt are forced to pay every day.”
Authorities arrested Abu Al-Ela on March 10. Abu Al-Ela told the prosecutor he was subjected to 50 days of enforced disappearance and endured both physical and psychological torture during this period.
Azab told CPJ that these threats and surveillance are intended to “intimidate me into ceasing my support for freedom issues in general, and for journalists in particular, as my car went missing after the protest organized in solidarity with Palestinians and currently detained Egyptian journalists.”
CPJ’s email to the Egyptian Ministry of Interior requesting comment on these cases did not receive an immediate response.
Editor’s note: This alert was updated to correct the number of years Abu Al-Ela was sentenced to and include the sentencing date.