One year of imprisonment: Al Jazeera demands the release of Mahmoud Hussein

Al Jazeera Media Network continues in its demand for the immediate release of its journalist Mahmoud Hussein who has undergone a full year of detention in Egyptian prison without trial.  Al Jazeera condemns the unjust renewal of his detention for the tenth time, most recently on Thursday, 14 December, 2017.

Mahmoud was detained in December last year by Egyptian authorities upon his arrival in Cairo while on annual vacation visiting his family.

During the course of this year-long detention Mahmoud’s physical health has deteriorated having first been held in solitary confinement from 23 December until 20 March 2017. On June 13th, while in prison he sustained a fracture in his left elbow. To date, he has not been allowed access to the required medical treatment by the Egyptian authorities, even though Al Jazeera would cover all costs.

Al Jazeera strongly condemns the actions of the Egyptian authorities which are a clear and blatant violation of his basic human rights which are supposedly guaranteed by Egyptian laws and international binding treaties. Al Jazeera holds the Egyptian authorities responsible for Mahmoud’s safety and well-being.

Al Jazeera reaffirms its commitment to its journalistic mission and adherence to its code of ethics to objectively and professionally report all sides of the story from Egypt and beyond. We believe that the protection of journalists must be held in the highest regard - no journalist should be subject to intimidation, persecution, or imprisonment while carrying out their duties. Press freedom is a basic fundamental of democratic values – “Journalism is not a crime”.

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