Mahmou­d Abu Zeid spent nearly six years in prison for coveri­ng a bloody crackd­own on protes­tsCAIRO: Award-winning Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid was released on Monday after spending nearly six years in prison following his arrest while covering a bloody crackdown on protests, his lawyer said. The photojournalist was jailed and put on trial along with 739 defendants, most of them charged with killing police and vandalising property. In September an Egyptian court upheld death sentences against 75 defendants and gave Shawkan a five-year jail term — which covered the time he had already served — but he remained in jail awaiting his release. Another 214 people who were sentenced in September to five years in prison were released from prison on Monday. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Egypt 161st out of 180 countries on its press freedom index.

Source: The Express Tribune March 04, 2019 09:56 UTC