For the first time in Egypt, a court has issued the death penalty and life sentence against 14 journalists collectively in one case, known in media as "Rabaa task force case."
Journalist with the Freedom and Justice Party Walid Abdel Raouf Shalaby, currently detained, received a death sentence, while 13 others were sentenced to life in prison.
The 13 journalists sentenced life are detained journalist with Youm7 Hany Salh Eddin, fugitive journalist Gamal Nassar, the detained FJP spokesperson Ahmed Subai, Ikhwan Web fugitive editor-in-chief Khaled Mohamed Hamza Abbas, fugitive Ikhwan Online journalist Magdy Abdellatif Hamouda, fugitive journalist Ibrahim al-Taher al-Sayed, detained Amgad satellite channel correspondent Mohamed Mostafa al-Adly, fugitive Ahrar 25 channel director Mossad Hussein Abdallah al-Barbary, detained coordinator of Journalists for Reformation movement Hassan Hosny al-Qabbani, and 4 Rassd network detained founders: Samhy Mostafa, Abdallah al-Falharany, Ahmed Abdel Alim, Mohamed Sultan, and fugitive Amr Farrag.
The syndicate will form a legal committee to study the recently sentenced journalists, said syndicate head Yehia Qalash.
The next meeting for the syndicate's board to be held, Wednesday, will discuss the recently sentenced journalists cases and possible legal steps toward them, he added.
The syndicate is following up on the imprisoned condition of the journalists and demanded urgent surgery for Hany Salah Eddin and the transfer of a number of them to more appropriate spaces, Qalash told Al-Masry Al-Youm. He pointed out that he recently met with a delegation from the families of imprisoned journalists to discuss the syndicate's plan to defend them.
Qalash stressed the Journalists Syndicate would do its best to release the imprisoned journalists as part of the syndicate's task to defend freedoms.
The syndicate will defend all journalists whether syndicate members or not, said head of the Journalists Syndicate Freedoms Committee Khaled al-Balshy.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
