The Central Cairo prosecution ordered 15 days detention pending investigation for three journalists arrested last week on accusation of unlicensed photography, lawyer Fatma Serag told Daily News on Sunday.
The photojournalists were initially accused of unlicensed photography, but after the prosecution’s investigation they were accused of several other crimes, including spreading rumours and false information, possessing illegal records, threatening the country’s stability and security, airing videos on channels affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood, and belonging to the Brotherhood.
The photojournalists, Hamdy Al-Zaeem, Mohamed Hassan, and Osama El-Beshbeshy, were working for private newspaper Al-Nabaa when they were arrested Monday while shooting a video in the vicinity of the Press Syndicate in downtown Cairo.
Serag previously told Daily News Egypt: “The three photojournalists were investigated overnight by national security authorities. They are expected to be referred to the prosecution in the next few hours.”
Following the photojournalists’ arrest, their release procedures were hindered, and they were investigated for several hours by National Security due to the involvement of Al-Zaeem in another case, in which he was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison and was out on bail.
Several photojournalists have been arrested or prevented from taking pictures recently due to the ongoing security crackdown against journalists.
