Al Jazeera continues to call for the immediate release of Mahmoud Hussein

Al Jazeera journalist, Mahmoud Hussein, today has undergone 600 days in detention without trial or any official charge in Egypt despite his completion of the statutory maximum period of detention permitted in a pre-trial arrest This has been condemned across the globe by rights groups, and international institutions including the United Nations who continue to call for his release.

Mahmoud’s detention has continuously renewed by Egyptian authorities since his arrest in December 2016 upon arrival to Cairo on a holiday with his family.

Al Jazeera Media Network renews its condemnation of Mahmoud’s arrest and reiterates its call for his immediate release. Al Jazeera is grateful to all the international rights groups and media freedom organizations that continue in their efforts for the release of Mahmoud. The Network calls on all those concerned with media freedom to take an active part in denouncing Mahmoud’s continuous detention on social media (#freemahmoudhussein) and to put pressure on Egyptian authorities to release Mahmoud Hussein and end his arduous ordeal.

Al Jazeera’s international campaign ‘Demand Press Freedom’ (#demandpressfreedom) highlighting media freedom for news institutions, and for journalists such as Mahmoud Hussein has had high engagement from social media across the world.

Al Jazeera’s journalists and correspondents have been a target of Egyptian authorities since 2013, many faced trumped up charges, imprisonment, ill treatment, denied the benefit of fair trial and sentenced in absentia to imprisonment and the death penalty.

Al Jazeera reaffirms continued support for all its journalists and employees and its commitment to its mission and adherence to its Code of Ethics to report news and developments in Egypt and elsewhere objectively and professionally. Al Jazeera also condemns the intimidation and arrest of any journalist as a result of carrying out their professional work.