Location: Egypt        
Date: May 12, 2022

Journalists Hala Fahmy and Safaa Al-Korbaji were detained by the state security prosecutor after they posted online videos criticizing President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s government in April. The two journalists had also publicly supported and participated in state media workers’ strikes, which began in January. The Coalition For Women In Journalists condemns the detentions of Hala and Safaa and calls for their immediate release. 

 TV presenter Hala Fahmy and reporter Safaa Al-Korbaji were both detained on charges of joining a group allegedly founded in violation of law and spreading false news. 

Pending investigation, Safaa was arrested on April 21 and her whereabouts were not disclosed for two days. 

Meanwhile, Hala was detained a week later. Her lawyer announced that she had been taken into custody on the same allegations as her colleague. Both the journalists face 15 days in prison pending investigation.

The two journalists are both outspoken critics of the government. They have supported protests against corruption and delayed wages at the headquarters of the Radio and Television Union at Maspero building, where most state radio and television channels’ offices are located. 

Hala’s detention came after her recent appearance in a video in which she stated that she was chased by unidentified individuals, according to news reports. Hala voiced issues that media workers face in the country and led protests against state media. On March 7, she posted a video on her social media account, calling the Maspero building “hell”. 

She also reported on the aggression of the building’s security officers.

On April 24, she posted another video criticizing the alleged corruption of officials and mismanagement of the economy. She was suspended from Maspero for three months on February 17, for inciting her colleagues to protest against the non-payment of or delays in their salaries. 

Similarly, Safaa was detained after posting a video about Israel’s entry into Sinai during two music festivals organized by Israelis during Passover holiday, which fell on the Sinai Liberation Day. The festivals sparkled widespread condemnation against Israel on social media. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the detentions of Hala Fahmy and Safaa Al-Korbaji and calls on the Egyptian authorities to release the journalists immediately. We strongly condemn the state-backed persecution of journalists and call for all legal charges against them to be dropped. For any country to flourish, the state must allow space for dissenting voices and uphold press freedom and free speech in the country.  

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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