Gamal Ziada, father of human rights defender Ahmed Ziada, was released from a 28-day detention for his son's outspoken criticism of the Egyptian government
Hesham Kassem in his office under construction in Cairo in 2010. Hossam el-Hamalawy (Beirut) - Egyptian authorities have unlawfully detained a prominent critic and veteran news publisher and referred him for prosecution apparently based solely on his peaceful criticism, Human Rights Watch said today. Egyptian authorities detained Hisham Kassem on August 20, 2023, and prosecutors quickly referred him for an "urgent trial," which began on September 2, on charges of libel and slander related to online posts critical of a former government minister. His prosecution is part of a new wave of free speech prosecutions against critics, continuing Egypt's relentless repression. "Egyptian authorities' use of criminal defamation laws to muzzle critics like Hisham Kassem is just one of myriad tools they use to ensure that critical speech leads straight to prison," said Amr Magdi, senior Middle East and North Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The authorities