As Al-Jazeera staff prepare to mark a year since the arrest and detention of their colleagues Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed on 29 December, media freedoms in Egypt remain in peril. The AJ three, whose jailing sparked condemnation from colleagues across the international media, are only the best known example of journalists who have been convicted or detained in the course of their work. Shawkan (Mahmoud Abou Zeid), a freelance photojournalist arrested while covering the massacre of protesters by the security forces on 14 August 2013, will mark his 500th day in prison on 26th December.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 11 journalists are currently detained in Egypt. Most have experienced lengthy periods of pre-trial imprisonment before reaching court.

Mahmoud Abdel Nabi, a correspondent for the news website Rassd, was arrested on July 3 2013, while covering clashes between supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi and supporters of the Egyptian army in the Sidi Beshr neighborhood of Alexandria, according to news reports. A prosecutor charged Abdel Nabi with possessing weapons and inciting rioting.

Mahmoud Abou Zeid (known as Shawkan) a freelance photographer, was detained on August 14, 2013, while covering clashes between Egyptian security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi during the dispersal of the pro-Morsi sit-in at Rabaa Al-Adawiya in Cairo, according to news reports. Abou Zeid has been accused of illegal assembly, murder, attempted murder, and possessing weapons.

Samhi Mustafa, co-founder for the news website Rassd, was arrested on August 25, 2013. He and his colleagues, Rassd Executive Director Abdullah al-Fakharny and Amgad TV presenter Mohamed al-Adly, are accused of publishing false news and “spreading chaos.” Previous charges against the journalists were unrelated to their work and included “disturbing the peace,” according to their lawyer, Ahmed Helmy. The lawyer denied the new allegations against them.

Ahmed Gamal, a photojournalist for the online news network Yaqeen, was arrested on December 28, 2013, while covering student protests at Al-Azhar University, according to Yahya Khalaf, Yaqeen’s executive director, who spoke to CPJ. Gamal has not yet been charged, but he was accused on April 10, 2014, of participating in an illegal demonstration and assaulting a police officer.

Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, Cairo bureau chief for Al-Jazeera English, was arrested on December 29, 2013, along with Al-Jazeera English correspondent Peter Greste and producer Baher Mohamed. On June 23, 2014, he was convicted to seven years in jail on charges of “distorting the country’s image abroad” and “fabricating news to aid the Muslim Brotherhood,” which the government has declared a terrorist organization, according to news reports. He is awaiting an appeal hearing.

Peter Greste, Al-Jazeera English correspondent, was arrested on December 29, 2013, along with Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, Cairo bureau chief for Al-Jazeera English, and producer Baher Mohamed. On June 23, 2014, he was convicted to seven years in jail on charges of “distorting the country’s image abroad” and “fabricating news to aid the Muslim Brotherhood,” which the government has declared a terrorist organization, according to news reports. He is awaiting an appeal hearing.

Baher Mohamed, Al-Jazeera English producer, was arrested on December 29, 2013, along with Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, Cairo bureau chief for Al-Jazeera English, and correspondent Peter Greste. On June 23, 2014, he was convicted to 10 years in jail on charges of “distorting the country’s image abroad” and “fabricating news to aid the Muslim Brotherhood,” which the government has declared a terrorist organization, according to news reports. He is awaiting an appeal hearing.

Ahmed Fouad, a reporter for Karmoz news website, was arrested on January 25, 2014, while covering a demonstration in Sidi Beshr by Muslim Brotherhood members, according to local press freedom groups and other reports. He has been charged with “joining a group that aims to disrupt the law,” “demonstrating without permission,” “blocking a road,” and “possessing a weapon,” according to reports.

Abdel Rahman Shaheen, correspondent for Freedom and Justice News Gate, was arrested on April 9, 2014, on the street in Suez City, according to news reports. Freedom and Justice News Gate is a news website affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Egyptian government has declared to be a terrorist organization. He was sentenced on June 24, 2014, to three years in prison on charges of inciting and committing violence in protests, according to reports. His outlet denied the allegations.

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists

What you can do:

• Join the day of social media action for Shawkan on 26 December more details here
• Join the day of action calling for the release of the AJ journalists on 29 December. Protest at the Egyptian embassy in London 12 noon
• Sign the online petition calling for the release of the AJ three here
• Send a letter of protest to the Egyptian authorities via the embassy in your country calling for the release of all jailed journalists in Egypt
• Tweet your support for the jailed journalists using the #journalismisnotacrime hashtag
• Go to our Facebook page for more online posters to share