"Responding to the letter, the prosecution defended such incarcerations. While “imposing restrictions on freedom of speech is prohibited,” its statement said, “the condition for that is preserving national security and the highest interests of the country.”
The prosecutors even appeared to threaten other journalists against covering the case. “The public prosecution points out that the Egyptian penal code criminalizes publicizing matters that may influence the work of the judges or the members of the public prosecution in the cases before them and influence the public opinion to the favor of any party,” the statement said, urging journalists not to “contradict what’s proven in the fair judicial investigations, which would only damage the country’s reputation.”
Justifying the long incarcerations without hearings or formal charges, the statement said that some of the defendants had “confessed to investigators that they had joined the terrorist group” the Muslim Brotherhood."
The prosecutors even appeared to threaten other journalists against covering the case. “The public prosecution points out that the Egyptian penal code criminalizes publicizing matters that may influence the work of the judges or the members of the public prosecution in the cases before them and influence the public opinion to the favor of any party,” the statement said, urging journalists not to “contradict what’s proven in the fair judicial investigations, which would only damage the country’s reputation.”
Justifying the long incarcerations without hearings or formal charges, the statement said that some of the defendants had “confessed to investigators that they had joined the terrorist group” the Muslim Brotherhood."
