State Security prosecution authority renewed Tuesday the detention of Hisham Gaafar for another 15 days, pending investigations.
Gaafar, who is the managing director of Mada Foundation for Media Development, was arrested in a security raid on the foundation’s headquarters last October, and is now facing charges of belonging to a terrorist group and receiving foreign bribes.
The journalist’s health is deteriorating. Leader of the Freedoms Committee at the Press Syndicate announced a sit-in Monday, which continued into Tuesday, to object the conditions of Gafar’s detention as well as other detained journalists, demanding that they receive medical treatment.
Meanwhile, Gaafar’s wife was denied visiting him Monday in prison, according to the National Council for Human Rights, a state-affiliated organisation.
The council said a prison officer intimidated Gafaar’s wife and told her the way her was dressed, his t-shirt and shoes in particular, were “inappropriate”.
