Alexandrani’s Detention in State Security Continues, ECESR Demands Immediate Release

The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) condemns the violations committed against Ismail Alexandrani, the detained journalist and researcher, yesterday at 2 pm upon his return from Germany at the Hurghada Airport.

The ECESR demands immediate release of Ismail Alexandrani, and holds authorities accountable for his safe return to his family.

Alexandrani has been detained for over 10 hours at the security office at the Airport among repeated promises to release him in a short time. Shortly after, he was referred to the State Security headquarters where he is still being detained to this moment. Until this moment, Alexandrani has not been investigated with by a State Security prosecutor. He is scheduled tomorrow at 10 am to stand before the State Security Prosecution in the Fifth Settlement, New Cairo.

Alexandrani’s incident is an example of the authorities’ continued persecution of journalists and writers and violation of all the rights and international criteria which ensure the protection of freedoms of the press and expression, not to mention guarding against the violation of the constitution.

Ismail Alexandrani is a researcher and writer whose work is published in a number of international and national journals, newspapers and websites. He has gradually risen as an expert on Sinai and the positioning of its people. Ismail Alexandrani also worked as a volunteer with the ECESR in 2014.

Alexandrani was an Arab journalist fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center. He won the Open Eye-Hany Darweesh Award for the exceptional essay of journalism (Germany, 2014) and the Global Youth Essay on Democracy Contest (World Youth Movement for Democracy, 2009) and he was chosen later on as a judge in the same contest later.