David Cameron stays silent on Egypt’s clampdown on journalists

Egyptian journalists light candles during a protest demanding the release of their colleague Mohammed al-Battawy, Cairo, 7 July 2015. Photograph: Amr Nabil/AP

The arrest of four more journalists in Egypt in one week (Report, 7 July) reveals the steady and ruthless attack on the media in Egypt since the 2013 coup. The regime of Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is intent on suffocating independent journalism at any cost. After the abhorrent detention of three al-Jazeera journalists – to international condemnation – the Sisi regime is unashamedly continuing this flagrant series of harassment and detentions. Mohamed Adly, Hamdy Mokhtar and Sherif Ashraf are now facing jail terms simply for doing their job. The arrests coincide with new anti-terrorism legislation in Egypt, which makes it a criminal offence to publish news contradicting the government’s stance on terrorism cases. Following the Tunisia terror attacks, David Cameron spoke of “standing up for our values – of peace, democracy, tolerance, freedom”. The continuing silence of his government on this issue exposes a concerning double standard.
Toby Cadman
International Forum for Democracy and Human Rights