The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Friday called on Egypt to immediately release two jailed journalists, including one who tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is currently in intensive care.
Both journalists for the private pro-government daily Youm 7, Hany Greisha and El-Sayed Shehta were arrested at their homes last month, according to CPJ.
Read also: Egypt: four inmates died in prison in less than 72 hours
Mr. Greisha is accused of spreading false information and being part of a "
terrorist group
" - accusations often used against dissidents in Egypt -, added CPJ, adding that it was not aware of the leaders. charge against Mr. Shehta.
The latter has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is currently handcuffed to an intensive care bed at a public hospital an hour from Cairo, according to CPJ.
"
The Egyptian authorities should immediately release the journalists (...) due to the pandemic,
" said Sherif Mansour, CPJ coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, several NGOs have denounced the increase in infections and deaths due to overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions and lack of care in the Egyptian prison environment, calling on the authorities to release the prisoners politicians and those awaiting trial.
On Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said four detainees had died in prison between August 31 and September 2, denouncing "
unacceptable negligence on the part of the prison authorities
".
In recent years, the deaths of several inmates in prison, including former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and young director Chadi Habache, have led Egypt to accusations of negligence on the part of human rights defenders.
Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2014, a ruthless wave of repression has hit the opposition, Islamist and liberal, journalists, lawyers, academics and activists.
Egypt has around 60,000 political prisoners, according to human rights NGOs.
