The student of the Vienna-based Central European University, who was arrested last year while visiting his home country in Egypt, was sentenced on Monday to three years in prison in Cairo. Ahmed Samir Santawy has been found guilty of “spreading fake news on social media”, according to the human rights group Amnesty International Austria.
Santaway conducted research into women’s and abortion rights. The state security prosecutor had asked detainee Santaway for information about his investigation into Islam and abortion. Authorities claim to be a member of a terrorist group, spreading fake news and using a social media account to spread fake news.
In June 2021, Santawy was first convicted, which in turn was quashed at the beginning of the year. The Egyptian authorities have twice postponed the retrial of the case. During this time, the student was in detention.
Amnesty and ÖH shocked by verdict
Amnesty said it was shocked by the verdict and called for the man’s immediate release. “The whole process was a farce that dragged on for months. Today’s ruling puts a sad end to that,” said Annemarie Schlack, general manager of AI Austria. Santawy is a prisoner of conscience and is being held innocently. The Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) called it a “shocking statement”.
The rector of the Central European University (CEU), Shalini Randeria, called the verdict “a mockery of law and justice” in a broadcast. “Ahmed Samir Santawy is a political prisoner. He was in prison for exercising his right to freedom of opinion and expression, both as a scientist and as an individual.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
