Egypt: Rights groups call on President Sisi to release researcher Ahmed Samir Santawy ifex.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ifex.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Disturbing Pattern: Egyptian Student Disappears After Police Interrogation Published February 7th, 2021 - 08:42 GMT
Ahmed Samir Santawy (Twitter)
Highlights
CEU Rector and President Michael Ignatieff called for Santawy’s “immediate release and for his safe return to his family and to his studies”.
The disappearance of Ahmed Samir Santawy is the latest in a disturbing pattern of intimidation and harassment of academics and researchers by Egyptian authorities.
An Egyptian graduate student and human rights researcher, Ahmed Samir Santawy, has been arbitrarily detained by Egyptian national security forces after being interrogated on February 1.
According to a statement by the Association of the Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE), Santawy’s lawyer was not allowed to attend and provide him with legal assistance while in police custody on the day, and all communication has been cut off since.
Ms Hossam, 21, and Ms Eladham, 22, had been sentenced to two years in prison and fined 300,000 Egyptian pounds each in July.
Ms Hossam, who had over a million TikTok followers, was arrested after encouraging women to post videos on Likee, a streaming app that allows users to make money based on the number of followers they attract.
Ms Eladham, who had 3.1 million TikTok followers and 1.6 million Instagram followers, was accused of posting lip-synching and dance videos that were deemed indecent. She also used Likee.
“Now there’s another extension for the same case, for the same acts, but they put different charges to keep these girls prosecuted,” said Mr Abdelnaby, who is executive director of the Regional Centre for Rights and Liberties, a non-profit organisation.