Tag: egypt

Egyptian Photojournalist Convicted of Murder for Covering Protests in 2013

On September 8th, 2018, photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid, also known as Shawkan, was convicted for murder and membership in a terrorist organization after his arrest in August 2013 while “documenting the government’s violent dispersal of protesters at Rab’a Al Adweya…

Egyptian Author Fined for Sexually Explicit Excerpt

Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji was fined LE 20,000 following his third trial for “harming public morality” by republishing an excerpt from his experimental book Using Life (also known as Use of Life) in 2014. Naji was initially acquitted of these…

Ahmed Naji to Face Trial Again for Book Excerpt

Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji will be tried a third time for “harming public morality” with an excerpt from his book Use of Life which was reprinted in Akhbar al-Adab newspaper in 2014. Naji was previously convicted and sentenced to two…

Egypt’s Garage Dedicated to Creative Freedom in Comics

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: the international hot spot for vibrant, surreal indie comics, for the past several years at least, is the Middle East and North Africa. Much of the innovation comes from Egypt, where occasionally…

Egyptian Police Raid Indie Press, Arrest Volunteer for ‘Posession of Unregistered Books’

Egyptian police on Sunday raided the office of a small independent press, Merit Publishing House, and detained a volunteer staff member for “being in possession of unregistered books without ISBNs,” implying they likely weren’t approved by government censors. The same…

Egyptian Novelist Ahmed Naji Banned From Travel

Despite his successful appeal for retrial, Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji, author of The Use of Life, has been prevented from traveling through the Cairo airport by a government travel ban. The travel ban comes in the wake of a series of…

Report Highlights Cartoonists Under Threat Worldwide

Two years after the attack on Charlie Hebdo staff, the world’s free expression focus has largely shifted away from cartoonists. That certainly does not mean the danger has disappeared, however, as a recent 30-page report from the French nonprofit Cartooning…

Egyptian Court Vacates Ahmed Naji Conviction, Orders Retrial

An Egyptian court yesterday ordered a retrial for novelist Ahmed Naji, who spent 10 months in prison for “violating public modesty” with an excerpt from his book Use of Life which was reprinted in the state-owned Akhbar al-Adab newspaper. Naji…

Egyptian Cartoonist Featured in New Documentary

The new documentary Tickling Giants puts the spotlight on the important role of satire and humor in political dissent–in this case, Egyptian heart surgeon-turned-comedian Bassem Youssef, who launched a Daily Show-inspired TV program in the midst of the Arab Spring…

Ahmed Naji: “I Believe in Freedom of Expression”

Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji served nearly a year in prison for “violating public modesty” when an excerpt of his novel The Use of Life was published in a state-run newspaper. Now free, the writer draws inspiration from his experience. “Before…