Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Hussein detained for one twelve months

When his daughter Hagar graduated from excessive college, Mahmoud Hussein clipped articles from newspapers about universities from the confines of his penal complex cell.

He wished to be there for Hagar as she became as soon as about to embark on a brand unique sprint – better training, and issue her of the staunch decisions.

« When I visited, I discovered that he’d made an inventory of universities that are moral for her, » says Zahra Hussein, Hagar’s sister.

At 23 years dilapidated, Zahra is the second oldest of Hussein’s 9 young folks.

Wednesday marks one twelve months since Egypt arrested the Al Jazeera journalist, who is now Fifty one years dilapidated having smartly-known a recent birthday at Cairo’s Tora penal complex, which became as soon as in-built 1993. 

Identified as Scorpion, stipulations at the power are notoriously unhappy. Attorneys personal beforehand been banned from seeing their purchasers. Workers personal, in accordance to Human Rights Witness, beat inmates severely, isolate them in minute « self-discipline » cells, decrease off access to families, and interfered with medical remedy.

Inmates embody govt critics and journalists who’re forced to fragment cells with alleged people of the Islamic Direct of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, in most cases identified as ISIS).

Thus far, Hussein has no longer been formally charged.

« We’re all unable to regulate, » says Zahra. « The home is dull. Dad is under arrest, so there could be no longer any happiness coming in. » 

An Egyptian national who became as soon as based mostly completely mostly in Qatar, Hussein became as soon as stopped and wondered for 15 hours by authorities, after travelling to Cairo on holiday final December 20.

 He became as soon as accused of « incitement in opposition to issue institutions and broadcasting faux news with the design of spreading chaos », allegations he, his attorneys and Al Jazeera strongly assert.

He’s in unhappy physical and psychological situation and is being denied ample medical remedy.

After he fractured his arm final summer, officers refused to let Hussein endure surgical procedure or personal his cast modified.

Human rights groups express there are currently around 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt, quite loads of whom personal disappeared.

There are no decrease than 20 journalists currently languishing in Egyptian prisons, in accordance to a unique document from the Committee to Provide protection to Journalists.

« I struggle by many phases of depression, after which I in fact feel that I cannot proceed, » says Zahra, who has adopted the position of family caretaker since her father’s arrest.

As Hussein became as soon as being branded a « terrorist who works for Al Jazeera » by Egypt’s media, her bosses sacked her, announcing they could maybe maybe also no longer risk preserving her employed. She now works from home as a contract translator.

« I never wished to be placed on this frightening trouble. I’ve continuously had this comforting opinion that dad’s here. If any field arises, dad will resolve it. » 

As a part of his imprisonment, Hussein spent around three months in solitary confinement sooner than being moved to a cell with quite loads of prisoners.

On the time of his arrest, Sherif Mansour of CPJ acknowledged: « Egyptian authorities are waging a systematic marketing campaign in opposition to Al Jazeera, consisting of arbitrary arrest, censorship, and systematic harassment. »

Al Jazeera Media Network has acknowledged it « rejects the final baseless allegations in opposition to Hussein, and condemns the unfair detention, as smartly as to acquiring faux confessions by power.

Furthermore, the network holds the Egyptian authorities to blame for Hussein’s security and smartly-being ».

‘We are level-headed satisfied he is with us’

Hussein is the oldest of 9 siblings and hails from a village within the Giza governorate.

The first member of his family to motivate college, he has two levels from Cairo University – one in political science, and one other in regulation.

« I cherished college very considerable, » he told Al Jazeera in a March 2016 interview for an inner workers magazine. « I archaic to be high of my class by excessive college. »

In 1988, Hussein started his journalism occupation as politics editor with the Cairo-based mostly completely mostly Sawt al-Arab Radio (Inform of Arabs Radio). He later became a broadcaster at the self-discipline.

At some stage in his years in radio, he also labored for quite loads of overview centres in Egypt.

He joined the issue-whisk Nile TV in 1997 as a political views correspondent, sooner than later being promoted because the channel’s head of correspondents.

Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein is a seasoned reporter who has been detained in Egypt for one twelve months [Al Jazeera]

He spent years in Palestine where he interviewed Yasser Arafat, extinct chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and covered major occasions equivalent to Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2006. 

He then labored with quite loads of Arabic news channels, indirectly turning into Sudan TV’s Cairo bureau chief. At some stage in those years, Hussein also taught at the Radio and Tv Institute in Cairo, giving courses on news production and bettering. 

In 2010, Hussein joined Al Jazeera’s Cairo bureau as a correspondent, after freelancing for the network. He covered Egypt’s 2011 revolution which toppled extinct President Hosni Mubarak and the occasions that followed, up except the closing of Al Jazeera’s Cairo bureau in 2013.

He then moved to Al Jazeera’s headquarters in Doha, where he labored as a news producer.

Hussein is somebody « who knows how news is made », says Majed Khedr, his manager in Doha.

Sitting in Al Jazeera Arabic’s bustling newsroom, Khedr remembers Hussein’s ability to lighten the mood in a annoying work atmosphere.

« What is weird about Mahmoud is his fun spirit. He has a staunch sense of humour, » Khedr says.

« He continuously introduced food, and it became as soon as in most cases Egyptian food …This became as soon as Mahmoud’s spirit, God bless him. 

« His identify is level-headed in our day-to-day work schedule because we’re level-headed satisfied he is with us. »

Anas Zaki, a news editor at Al Jazeera Arabic, described Hussein as somebody who « became as soon as continuously there for his chums ».

The pair studied at university collectively and were chums for greater than 30 years.

If somebody called Hussein in effort gradual at evening, he would run to their home and « never accomplish him in fact feel like he sacrificed his sleep or comfort », Zaki says.

Despite all my attempts, I in fact feel like I cannot hold the rest for dad … I in fact feel like if he became as soon as start air and I became as soon as inner [prison], he would personal without downside solved it.

Zahra Hussein, Mahmoud Hussein’s daughter

In step with Zahra Hussein, her father has expressed fears about his of us demise while he is in penal complex. His mother suffers from heart concerns.

Weekly visits are restricted to three folks. With a tidy preference of siblings and children, this implies some relatives need to wait months to notice Hussein.

« Despite all my attempts, I in fact feel like I cannot hold the rest for dad, » says Zahra.

« I in fact feel like if he became as soon as start air and I became as soon as inner [prison], he would personal without downside solved it.

« I keep my religion in God, but I mostly in fact feel desperate. »

Al Jazeera calls for the quick commence of Mahmoud Hussein, who is Fifty one years dilapidated [Al Jazeera]