I was struck by the harsh measures taken in the raid on the home of the media presenter Quswa Al-Khalali—if it indeed occurred in the manner reported to us—and by the arrest of her brother, the legally licensed media institution’s chairman, as well as the arrest of the editor-in-chief and the journalist who wrote a news piece that a citizen claims is false.
The following points caught my attention:
First: To my knowledge, and as stated by the head of the Journalists’ Syndicate, the arrest of any journalist requires the syndicate to be notified before any action is taken against the journalist or the media institution they work for, and a syndicate representative must be present with the accused journalist during questioning by the prosecution.
Second: I question the reason behind this level of force, the home raid, and the arrest of the accused, when they could have simply been summoned by a phone call. The charge is not criminal—unless the aim was to create intimidation and pressure that exceed the accusation itself.
Third: Why was the chairman of the board arrested in the first place? Does this mean that in any private-sector company, the accusation of a journalist and a civil complaint against them is enough reason to arrest the company’s chairman?
Such an action sends a message that would push private-sector companies and investors to flee the country, if a mere accusation—before being proven—can become grounds for the arrest of a chairman.
In my view, what happened contains numerous shortcomings in the conduct of the state’s executive agencies and gives the impression that the excessive measures were driven by motives unrelated to enforcing the law, but rather to intimidating opinion and media institutions.
Politically, it also shows a lack of judgment, as the timing is entirely inappropriate, and wise people understand hints.
What happened also reminded me of the incident involving Mr. Salah Diab, owner of Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, who was arrested not long ago, along with the intimidation of the newspaper and any editor-in-chief should anything be published that displeases the authorities. This shrinks freedom of expression even in opinion columns where responsibility lies solely with the writer, due to fear of accountability and punishment.
I am a man who respects the law, and therefore I stand in solidarity with Ms. Quswa Al-Khalali and the journalists of EgyPtek in rejecting anything that threatens freedom of expression, and I support the syndicate in defending journalists.
And if there is an accusation or wrongdoing, let it be proven within the bounds of the law and in a manner that respects the profession—not like this.
