For World Press Freedom Day, Belady publishes the most significant figures concerning the situation of Egyptian female journalists and the violations they have been subjected to since 2013. These violations aim to stifle their duties of reporting and newsgathering and flagrantly infringe on their freedom of journalistic work, undermining freedom of opinion and expression and driving the media into sycophancy.
Belady observed the detention of 46 female employees in the field of journalism, aged 20 to 42, between 2013 and 2020.
32 journalists in various Egyptian newspapers, both printed and digital
3 editors
4 chief editors
2 field reporters
One anchor
2 photojournalists
2 journalism and media students
Seven of them were released without issuing records. Meanwhile, the rest of them were framed for common malicious charges from the ready-to-use list, such as “publishing false news” and “membership in a terrorist group”.
Six out of eight of them were sentenced in trial with either imprisonment and a fine or imprisonment/aggravated imprisonment (from one to five years).
Among these 46 female journalists and employees in the field of journalism, 26 (56.5%) were subjected to enforced disappearance for periods ranging from one to 125 days, excluding the day of appearance.
Many of them were subjected to persistent renewal of pre-trial detention, lasting for 8 months and 10 days for one of them.
Five of them were subjected to what is known as rotation under new political cases.
Four of them were subjected to arrest campaigns of entire families, meaning they were either arrested with their husbands or with their husbands and children.
Ten of them were subjected to physical violence, including severe beating, slapping, dragging, pulling and tearing of hair and bruising.
Two of them were subjected to psychological violence, including threat of assault, menace of rape, insult, humiliation and degrading words.
Two of them were deprived of their right of being investigated in the presence of a lawyer.
Seven of them were subjected to medical negligence, including the refusal of medicines’ entry and worsening of their health conditions without medical interference.
Belady: an Island for Humanity– a Human Rights Organization supporting Egyptian Women since 2017
Belady aims to dismantle institutionalized violence by documenting the Egyptian regime’s violations against women and educating national and international society about them. We also pressure and advocate amendment of legislation that codifies violations while calling upon authorities to implement overlooked laws and treaties that would ensure respect for rights and freedoms.
