The Committee to Protect Journalists joined partner organizations on Saturday in condemning the prolonged pre-trial detention of Egyptian journalist Hamdi al-Zaeem, and calling on Egyptian authorities to immediately release him.
Al-Zaeem was first arrested on September 26, 2016, then released conditionally on June 23, 2018. He was re-arrested in January 2021 and accused of spreading false news, misusing social media, and joining a terrorist organization. His next trial hearing is scheduled for September 27, 2026.
Egypt remains one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists, with 19 currently behind bars.