Egypt detains journalist for reporting ‘coup’ plot

CAIRO

The Egyptian authorities have detained a prominent journalist for reporting on the conviction of a number of army officers for allegedly plotting a “coup” against the Egyptian government.

Hossam Bahgat, a lawyer-turned-journalist, was questioned by military investigators on Sunday and may be charged with “spreading false news”, lawyer Karim Abdelrady said.

“Bahgat is accused of ‘spreading false news that could harm public peace’,” Abdelrady, who works with the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, an NGO, said via Twitter.

The accusations relate to Bahgat’s reporting on the conviction of 26 military officers for allegedly planning a coup.

A formal decision on whether or not to charge Bahgat is expected on Monday.

“The arrest of Hossam Bahgat today is yet another nail in the coffin for freedom of expression in Egypt,” Philip Luther, director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program, said in a statement.

“He is being detained and questioned by the military prosecutor for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and must be immediately and unconditionally released,” Luther said.

“Any charges brought against him must be dropped,” he added. “The Egyptian military cannot continue to consider itself above the law.”

Bahgat is the founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), an Egyptian human rights NGO.

Last year, he began working for Mada Masr, an online news website, for which he has written a series of articles about the Egyptian army and ongoing military trials.

Last month, he wrote an article about the trial of 26 military officers accused and convicted earlier this year of conspiring with the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group to stage a coup against Egypt’s current government.

The article was based on official documents, including an indictment issued by the military prosecutor, and interviews with the concerned officers’ families.

Egypt has been roiled by chaos and violence since mid-2013, when Mohamed Morsi -- the country's first freely elected president and a Muslim Brotherhood leader -- was himself deposed in a military coup.

Since then, the Egyptian authorities have carried out a relentless crackdown on dissent that has mainly targeted the ousted president’s supporters, leaving hundreds dead and thousands behind bars.

Last year, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, a former army chief who led the military to unseat Morsi, approved legislation allowing individuals accused of committing violations against state institutions to be referred to military courts.

In August, al-Sisi approved a controversial “anti-terrorism” law that imposes hefty fines on journalists who publish news that contradicts official statements.

According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPT), more than 20 journalists have been detained by Egyptian authorities since Morsi’s ouster in 2013.