Press release
Geneva – May 29, 2024
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has monitored that journalist Medhat Ramadan has been held in pretrial detention for four years since his arrest on May 28, 2020, in clear violation of Egyptian pretrial detention laws, which stipulate a maximum duration of two years.
Ramadan was arrested by Egyptian security forces from his family home in Menoufia on May 28, 2020, and remained forcibly disappeared for a month until he appeared at the Supreme State Security Prosecution on June 27, 2020.
He was charged with joining a terrorist group, spreading false news and statements, and misusing social media. Consequently, he was placed in pretrial detention in Case No. 680 of 2020.
Ramadan, 28, is a non-unionized Egyptian journalist from the village of Dalhmo in Ashmoun, Menoufia. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media from Al-Azhar University (Class of 2013-2014) and has worked for several news websites, most recently “Shababek.” He specializes in SEO and search engines and writes primarily about sports and education.
CFJ urges the Egyptian authorities—both judicial and executive—to adhere to the legal provisions concerning pretrial detention and to refrain from using it as a weapon against dissent. CFJ calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Medhat Ramadan, an end to his targeting due to his journalistic work, and a reaffirmation of press and media freedom in the country.
