Prominent Egyptian activist, journalist faces military prosecution

His detention spurred immediate condemnation from rights groups and journalists, calling it a new low in the clampdown on freedom of expression in Egypt.

A leading investigative journalist and human rights advocate is facing accusations from Egypt’s military prosecutor, his colleague said Sunday.

Atallah said she spoke with Bahgat by phone and he said the initial charges against him appear to be publishing false information that harms national security. “He must be immediately and unconditionally released and any charges brought against him must be dropped”.

Several lawyers, including Negad al-Borie, Hassan al-Azhari, Khaled Ali, Adel Ramadan and Hoda Nasrallah are now attending Bahgat’s interrogation, Mada reported.

Bahgat was also the founder of the independent organization the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).

“Hossam Bahgat is being formally charged by the military prosecution”. His family had received a summons at his official residence in Alexandria on November 5, his defense team told Human Rights Watch.

Bahgat returned to journalism and has recently published a series of investigative journalism reports on Mada Masr.

He is now being held at the military prosecutor’s office, Mada Masr said.

Last month, he wrote an article about the trial of 26 military officers accused and convicted earlier this year of conspiring with the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group to stage a coup against Egypt’s current government. Prosecutors questioned him until about 5:30 p.m., when they made a decision to detain him overnight and allowed him for the first time to ask for lawyers, who were only then able to visit him.

“The arrest of Hossam Bahgat today is yet another nail in the coffin for freedom of expression in Egypt”, said Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa chief Philip Luther. Because the military takeover in 2013, nevertheless, he has distinguished himself as a singular voice within the Egyptian news source media by writing a collection of painstakingly researched investigative reports which have referred to as in to query official authorities statements. Amnesty fears that Hossam Bahgat may be charged and prosecuted under the law. “The specter of Bahgat joining thousands of other civilians unlawfully charged in military courts starkly demonstrates how Egyptian authorities under al-Sisi believe that the only place for critics is behind bars”.