HRW Says Egypt 'Losing Legendary Sense of Humor' after Satirists Held
Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged Egypt to drop legal charges against four youths over a satirical video posted on the Internet, saying the country was losing its "legendary sense of humor."
Rights groups accuse President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of running an ultra-authoritarian and repressive regime since the overthrow of his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
A group of four young Egyptians have been remanded in custody since May accused of mocking the government in a satirical video posted on YouTube. A fifth member of the group known as Street Children has been released on bail.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for the group's release and any charges to be dropped for the sake of freedom of expression.
Street Children's video mocks the devaluation of the Egyptian pound as well as the return of two islands to Saudi Arabia, a case which has provoked public anger in Egypt and was blocked this week by a Cairo court decision.
The four are accused of "promoting ideas calling for terrorist acts by posting a video on social networks and YouTube," a defense lawyer said.
They are also suspected of "incitement to take part in demonstrations disturbing the public order" and "inciting mobs to commit hostile actions against state institutions."
HRW, however, said "the investigation appears to be based purely on their satirical videos and violates the right to free speech."
Egypt under Sisi is "losing its legendary sense of humor when it locks up young men for making satirical videos," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa head at the New York-based HRW.
"This kind of blanket repression leaves young people with few outlets to express themselves or joke about their daily hardships."
Source: Agence France Presse
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