The Committee for Justice (CFJ) condemns the second trial of Egyptian publisher and politician Hisham Qassim on charges he was previously convicted of, asserting that this action reflects continued political repression against opponents.
The Public Prosecution has charged Qassim in case no. 2347 of 2024 (Economic Misdemeanors) based on a Facebook post he published in August 2023. The post referred to allegations reported in the media concerning corruption cases involving former Minister of Manpower Kamal Abu Eita and former Minister Nahed Ashry. The post contained no direct libel or slander against the plaintiff.
Qassim had previously been tried in September 2023 for the same accusations, including libel and intentional annoyance, based on the same post. He was sentenced to three months in prison and fined 20,000 EGP. Additionally, he received another three-month sentence for allegedly insulting police officers during his detention for the case, serving a total of six months in prison between August 2023 and February 2024.
Despite having served his sentence, Qassim is now being retried on the same charges. His legal team discovered that the complaint filed by Nahed Ashry was submitted after the previous verdict, raising concerns about deliberate attempts to subject him to double jeopardy.
CFJ considers this second trial, a year and a half after his initial imprisonment, as politically motivated. It views the prosecution’s actions as a means to punish Qassim for his political and human rights activities, particularly his outspoken criticism of the Egyptian government. The committee has also highlighted discrepancies in how the prosecution handles Qassim’s case compared to others.
CFJ calls on Egyptian judicial authorities to respect established legal principles, particularly the prohibition against retrying individuals for the same charges. The committee also demands an end to the targeting of Hisham Qassim due to his political and human rights work. CFJ emphasizes the need to cease politically motivated trials, protect individual rights, and uphold freedom of expression in Egypt.