{"id":19675,"date":"2026-10-15T08:57:57","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T06:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/?p=19675"},"modified":"2026-10-15T09:11:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:11:17","slug":"journalists-syndicate-imprisonment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/journalists-syndicate-imprisonment\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt\u2019s Journalists Syndicate Revisits Its Fight Against Imprisonment"},"content":{"rendered":"

The pictures hanging on the walls of the Journalists Syndicate\u2019s foyer on Wednesday evening, 14 October, were more than exhibits in an art show. The slogans on the posters were more than protest phrases recalling earlier professional battles. Between cartoons in solidarity with imprisoned journalists, photographs taken by journalists now behind bars, and placards bearing detainees\u2019 names and demands for their release, the exhibition sought to turn imprisonment from a recurring item of news after each judicial decision into a broader question: where are the limits placed on journalism, what becomes of the public\u2019s right to know, and what can the syndicate do when journalists themselves become the subjects of investigations and detention?<\/p>\n

The evening came at a particularly sensitive moment for Egypt\u2019s journalists, following the arrest of six journalists<\/a>, the entire editorial team of Matsda2sh, a platform specialising in fact-checking and investigative journalism. On 13 October, the Supreme State Security Prosecution renewed their detention for another 15 days, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights<\/a>. Solidarity with the platform\u2019s team was integral to the programme: their detention was the latest case confronting the profession.<\/p>\n

Human Rights Watch<\/a> described the arrest of an entire newsroom as a development raising concerns about the space available to independent journalism. The organisation said the arrests were initially accompanied by uncertainty about the journalists\u2019 whereabouts and an inability for their families and lawyers to contact them. It called on the authorities to disclose where they were being held and ensure access to legal representation.<\/p>\n

Security personnel in uniform and plain clothes were visible along the streets leading to the syndicate from different directions, alongside police vehicles and civilian cars. There was also a security presence around the building. Inside, dozens of journalists took part in activities lasting from around 5pm until after 9pm: an exhibition of photographs, cartoons and solidarity posters, followed by a discussion in the foyer where veteran journalists recalled imprisonment, protests and battles over laws governing the press.<\/p>\n

This was not a conventional event with speakers taking turns on a platform set apart from the audience. All the activities unfolded in the foyer, where exhibition and discussion shared the same space. Pictures and placards reminded those attending that the ordeal facing Matsda2sh\u2019s journalists was part of a longer struggle over press freedom.<\/p>\n

\"Preparations
Preparations for the solidarity evening in the Journalists Syndicate\u2019s foyer. Photograph: Ibrahim El-Hady Issa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Imprisoned journalists\u2019 work at the heart of the syndicate<\/h2>\n

The event began at around 5pm with an exhibition featuring cartoons in solidarity with imprisoned journalists, including Ashraf Omar<\/a>, alongside photographs taken by journalists now in detention, including Haider Qandil<\/a>. Rather than appearing only in legal statements or lists circulated among people following their cases, detainees\u2019 images and work were displayed in the place intended to bring journalists together to defend their professional interests and rights.<\/p>\n

Alongside the artworks were posters bearing direct slogans: \u201cJournalism is not a crime\u201d, \u201cLong live press freedom\u201d, \u201cDown with journalism by instruction\u201d, \u201cLong live journalists\u2019 struggle\u201d and \u201cDown with Samsung journalism\u201d.<\/p>\n

The phrases \u201cjournalism by instruction\u201d and \u201cSamsung journalism\u201d<\/a> evoke a widely circulated video of Extra News presenter Noha Darwish reading a statement from the public prosecutor. She also read out \u201cSent from a Samsung device\u201d, an automatic email signature that had remained in the text. The clip prompted criticism of how the script had been prepared before broadcast.<\/p>\n

The photography exhibition included images of sit-ins held inside the syndicate by families of imprisoned journalists, attacks by thugs on the syndicate in May 2016<\/a>, journalists\u2019 solidarity demonstrations with Gaza in October 2023<\/a>, and the 2013 \u201cA Nation Without Torture\u201d conference<\/a>. It also featured photographs from several syndicate general assemblies. Banners bearing portraits of detained journalists and demands for their release were hung alongside them.<\/p>\n

\"A
A cartoon in solidarity with Ashraf Omar. Photograph: Ibrahim El-Hady Issa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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