At a time most observers
hoped that the coming into being of the new political dispensation in Egypt
will usher in a rapprochement between the state and the media, it has
further nosedived to an all time low in terms of media repression going by
the verdict issued by the court jailing some journalists working for the Aljazeera
television to seven years for performing their legitimate duties as media
workers.
The Guardian of the
United Kingdom has just reported that Egypt's judiciary has dealt a shocking
blow to the principle of free speech after three journalists for Al-Jazeera English were
sentenced to between seven and 10 years in jail on charges of aiding terrorists
and endangering national security. These journalists were simply thrown into
jail for doing their duty. Nothing more, nothing less.
Reporting further on
this very sad and an unfortunate development, the leading British print media
disclosed that the former BBC correspondent Peter Greste, from Australia, the ex-CNN
journalist Mohamed Fahmy, and local producer Baher Mohamed were jailed for
seven, seven and 10 years respectively. Four students and activists indicted in
the case were sentenced to seven years.
The despicable court
process that culminated in these embarrassing sentences is not only a local
matter but is a declaration of war against global media freedoms. First, the
journalists involved in this pre-arranged and state sponsored trial are from
divergent countries around the World and secondly, press freedoms are embedded
in all international humanitarian laws to which Egypt subscribed to as a member
of the United Nations. John Milton reminded us that what has happened in Egypt
can only be done by people who hate freedom. he had written thus; "None
can love freedom heartily but goodmen; the rest love not freedom but
license".
This undemocratic
judgment is the clearest evidence that the newly elected civilian
administration in Egypt is only 'civil' in nomenclature but is actively the
same dictatorial contraption going by the inherent fact that the man elected as
President [General Abdel Fattah El Sisi] is the same General who
masterminded the removal of the erstwhile Mohammed Morsi's-led Moslem
Brotherhood government. The Moslem Brotherhood Government it could be recalled
was removed based on genuine fears expressed by over fourteen million Egyptians
who staged counter revolution demanding its replacement with a secular
democratic structure that would respect all religious and political shades of
opinion.
But since the
dethronement of the bad government of the United States trained Dr. Morsi,
developments from the judiciary of that country have been anything but
good. There appears to be a regime of persecution of all independent voices as
exemplified by this latest round of verdict targeted against these journalists.
The verdict issued by
the Egyptian court is not only laughable, undemocratic, primitive and
unacceptable because it goes against the very essence of fundamental freedoms enshrined
in the Universal Declarations of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human
and Peoples Rights but it is also comical and meaningless and indeed projects
Egypt and by extension Africa as a very unserious jungle in contemporary
political history.
All right thinking
Africans must prevail on the new government in Egypt to overturn this
oppressive verdict which was clearly masterminded by the executive arm of
government in Egypt meant to teach a lesson to the press for deciding to remain
independent and the play the role of the official voice of the voiceless
in that Country that has consistently remained in the news for the bad reason
that political instability has become the norm rather than exception. Only
recently, over five hundred members of the banned Moslem Brotherhood political
party were sentenced to death for only belonging to this platform.
To demonstrate the comic
nature of these so-called trial, the Egyptian judge also handed 10-year
sentences to the British journalists Sue Turton and Dominic Kane and the Dutch
journalist Rena Netjes, who were not in Egypt but were tried in absentia.
The Guardian [of United
Kingdom] reported that the courtroom packed with journalists, diplomats and
relatives erupted at the verdict which came despite what independent observers
said was a complete lack of evidence. These observers in that courtroom must
have been understandably jolted by this unconscionable judgment that can at
best be described as a 'satanic verse'.
Shouting from the
defendants' cage fearlessly as he was led away, Fahmy, a
Canadian-Egyptian citizen, said: "They'll pay for this." Greste's
reaction could not be heard, but the faces of his two younger brothers – both
present in court – were grim.
"I'm just
stunned," said Andrew Greste, as reporters were pushed from the courtroom.
"It's difficult to comprehend how they can have reached this
decision", so reported The Guardian.
Fahmy's mother and
fiancée according to news report, both broke down in tears, while his brother
Adel, who travelled from his home in Kuwait for the verdict, reacted with fury.
"This is not a
system," he said. "This is not a country. They've ruined our lives.
It shows everything that's wrong with the system: it's corrupt. This country is
corrupt through and through."
Diplomats and rights
campaigners who have observed the trial expressed incredulity at the verdict.
"On the basis of the evidence that we've seen, we can't understand the
verdict," said Larry King, the Australian ambassador in Cairo. "We will
make our feelings clear to the Egyptian government and we will continue to
provide all possible consular assistance."
From available
information, this writer is aware that the body of evidence presented before
the judge that reached this reprehensible verdict were completely unrelated to
the actual subject matter just as most analysts within Egypt have decisively
condemned this obscene judicial anarchy.
For instance, Mohamed
Lotfy, executive director of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
who has observed every session of the trial for Amnesty, said the verdict sent
a chilling message to all opposition figures in Egypt.
"It's a warning to
all journalists that they could one day face a similar trial and conviction
simply for carrying out their official duties," Lotfy said. "This
feeds into a wider picture of a politicised judiciary and the use of trials to
crack down on all opposition voices."
While hoping that this
charade would be overturned on appeal, it is also appropriate that the African
Union should drive the process of convincing the Egyptian government on why it
should discontinue the ongoing attacks on fundamental freedoms and especially
press freedom. The International Community must also prevail on Egypt to arrest
the speedy decline of democratic tenets and practices in that country and
embrace real practical democracy and respect for the fundamental freedoms of
all irrespective of political, religious and social status.
The Nigerian Government
can show leadership by throwing its diplomatic weight behind African Union by
demanding that fairness, equity and social justice are embraced as the hallmark
of the government of Egypt and indeed all African democracies. But first, the
Nigerian Government must also stop the Nigerian Military from further whittling
down the freedoms of the media practitioners to go about their duty without let
or hindrance. Charity they say begins at home.
+Emmanuel Onwubiko; Head; Human Rights Writers Association of
Nigeria; blogs@www.huriwa.blogspot.com,www.huriwa.org.
23/6/2014
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