🟥 Serious health deterioration for journalist Mohamed Saad Khattab… and the family demands saving his life before it's too late
The family of journalist Mohamed Saad Khattab has renewed its plea for his immediate release, following a severe deterioration in his health condition, having exceeded the legal limit of pretrial detention for months.
The family sent a telegram to the Attorney General warning of the continued detention, especially after he was unable to attend the last two renewal sessions due to severe fatigue resulting from complications of diabetes and his inability to eat.
Khattab, who is 73 years old, has been detained since August 2023 in connection with case number 2063 of 2023, facing charges related to:
Joining a terrorist group
Spreading false news
Misusing social media
This is based on a post he made on the "X" platform criticizing a construction incident on the North Coast.
Khattab suffers from chronic illnesses and has previously undergone heart surgeries, making his continued detention a direct threat to his life. His lawyer confirmed that the family is capable of providing urgent medical care as soon as he is released.
Moreover, his continued detention has caused significant humanitarian damage to his family, including the postponement of one of his daughter's weddings for two years.
Article 143 of the Criminal Procedure Law prohibits exceeding the periods of pretrial detention, which has already been violated in the case of journalist Mohamed Saad Khattab.
This incident comes amid a rise in the number of detained journalists in Egypt, which reached 24 last year, making Egypt the sixth highest country globally in the number of imprisoned journalists.
The Al-Shehab Human Rights Center demands:
Immediate health and humanitarian release of Mohamed Saad Khattab
Ensuring he receives necessary medical treatment
Respecting the legal limits of pretrial detention and the basic guarantees for journalists
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