Egypt’s leader must free journalists sent to prison

Just a year or so into his presidency, Fattah el-Sissi is proving his detractors right. El-Sissi’s latest edict is reminding many Egyptians and people around the world of deposed President Hosni Mubarak, who ruled for decades with an iron fist.

Several weeks ago, el-Sissi, a former general who took over the reins after Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood were ousted, issued a new anti-terrorism law. The law sets a sweeping definition for who could face a harsh set of punishments, including journalists who don’t toe the government line.

Diplomats, press freedom advocates and human rights organizations have harshly criticized el-Sissi’s anti-terrorism initiatives, just as they have last week’s sentencing of three Al-Jazeera English journalists to three years in prison for broadcasting what the judge called “false news.”

This trampling of free speech has triggered an international outcry because it spotlights just how ruthless authorities have become with those they perceive as enemies of the state.

The three journalists, Canadian national Mohammed Fahmy, Australian journalist Peter Greste and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed, are seeking a pardon from el-Sissi. The president has expressed regret over the long-running trial and the damage it has done to Egypt’s international reputation. He has said it would have been better to simply deport the journalists.

But even if there is a presidential pardon, the fact remains that Egypt seems to be returning to the old bad days of Mubarak’s dictatorial rule.

Last year, in an editorial headlined “Mubarak and his henchmen escape the hangman’s noose,” we warned that the progress made toward democracy since late January 2011 when thousands of Egyptians joined in a revolution aimed at topping the dictator was being undermined.

Here’s what we said, in part:

“The current president, former Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, is fast becoming a replica of Mubarak. They share a deep distrust of and dislike for the Muslim Brotherhood, whose leader, Mohammed Morsi, took over the presidency after Mubarak resigned. They also believe in silencing their critics either by imprisoning them or having them disappear.

“There should be no doubt that el- Sissi wanted Mubarak and his henchmen to be exonerated ...”

Black eye

The president is right in believing that Egypt, once seen as the epitome of the Arab Spring that held out the promise of democracy built on a whole set of freedoms, including freedom of the press, has suffered a black eye internationally.

The three journalists who were sentenced to prison last week were guilty of nothing more than doing their jobs. Fahmy, Greste and Mohammed had correctly concluded that they could not adequately report on the Middle East without covering the wider political conflict between Egypt and Qatar.

Al-Jezerra is based in Qatar.

Greste, who was deported from Egypt in February, said he believed an Egyptian appeals court would overturn the verdict, and called on el-Sissi to pardon him and his colleagues. Fahmy and Mohammed, both on hand for Saturday’s hearing, were immediately taken away by police after the hearing.

The political undercurrents that have undermined Egypt’s post-Mubarak era are very evident in the judicial system. Judges are riding roughshod over the rights of people and are making no pretense of justice being blind. There is no hesitation on their part to label defendants enemies of the state and, thus, punish at will.

President el-Sissi would not only undo a great injustice by pardoning the three journalists, he would send a strong and clear message to the judiciary that it is not the law-making branch of the government.

As for the bigger picture, the Egyptian leader, who needs to maintain good relations with the United States and other democracies in Europe, should revoke his anti-terrorism edict.

The memories of the 18-day popular uprising in January 2011 are still fresh in the minds of many Egyptians. The revolution brought about Mubarak’s resignation but not before his security forces killed 864 people and injured thousands.