(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Al Jazeera Media Network has said it continues to demand the immediate release of its journalist, Mahmoud Hussein, who has undergone a full year of detention in Egyptian prison without trial.
In a statement yesterday, Al Jazeera stressed that it 'condemns the unjust renewal of his detention for the 10th time, most recently on Thursday, December 14, 2017.
Mahmoud was detained in December last year by the Egyptian authorities upon his arrival in Cairo while on annual vacation visiting his family.
During the course of this year-long detention, Mahmoud's physical health has deteriorated - having first been held in solitary confinement from December 23 until March 20, 2017. On June 13, while in prison he sustained a fracture in his left elbow. To date, he has not been allowed access to the required medical treatment by the Egyptian authorities, even though Al Jazeera would cover all costs, the statement noted.
'Al Jazeera strongly condemns the actions of the Egyptian authorities, which are a clear and blatant violation of his basic human rights, which are supposedly guaranteed by Egyptian laws and international binding treaties. Al Jazeera holds the Egyptian authorities responsible for Mahmoud's safety and well-being, it said.
Further, Al Jazeera said it 'reaffirms its commitment to its journalistic mission and adherence to its code of ethics to objectively and professionally report all sides of the story from Egypt and beyond.
'We believe that the protection of journalists must be held in the highest regard - no journalist should be subject to intimidation, persecution or imprisonment while carrying out their duties, the statement further said.
Press freedom is a basic fundamental of democratic values ‘journalism is not a crime', it added.
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