Egyptian authorities have periodically renewed the imprisonment period of the journalists for 15-to-45 days since their detention, a tactic widely used by the regime.

Al Jazeera Mubasher condemned the ongoing detention of its journalists, Rabee Al Sheikh and Bahaa Al-Din Ibrahim, on Thursday, holding Egyptian authorities “fully responsible” for their safety.

In a statement, the Qatar-based network called on international rights groups and press freedom agencies “to stand in solidarity” with the journalists “and demand their immediate release”.

Egyptian authorities detained Al Sheikh at the Cairo International Airport while he was visiting his family in 2021, while Ibrahim was arrested in 2020 when he was travelling back to Doha through the same facility.

Cairo accused Ibrahim of spreading fake news and being affiliated with ‘terrorist organisations’, whereas Al Sheikh was accused of spreading fake news. Both journalists have remained behind bars without trial.

Egyptian authorities have periodically renewed the imprisonment period of the journalists for 15-to-45 days since their detention, a tactic widely used by the regime. 

In a statement on August 1, 2023, Al Jazeera expressed its grave concerns about the “distressing conditions” of its journalists, noting that Al Sheikh and Ibrahim suffer from chronic illnesses.

“Their prison cells lack the most basic conditions of health and hygiene, posing a serious threat to their health and exacerbating the challenges of coping with their chronic illnesses. Al Jazeera holds the Egyptian authorities fully responsible for their health, safety, and wellbeing,” the statement added.

In another controversial move, the Cairo Criminal Court named a number of Al Jazeera members on its revised terror list in July 2023. The network called on Egyptian authorities to “reconsider and refrain from measures that impede journalistic work and restrict freedoms”.

The Egyptian regime is notoriously known for its disturbing record of violating press freedom and has been described by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as “the world’s biggest prison for journalists”.

According to RSF, there are at least 18 journalists imprisoned in Egypt, out of which only six have been tried and convicted.

Al Jazeera has been subjected to notable violations since the 2013 military coup that saw current Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi seize power from then-leader Mohamed Morsi—Egypt’s first democratically elected leader.

The detainment of the Al Jazeera journalists has continued despite the resumption of ties between Doha and Cairo in 2021 following the 2017 diplomatic dispute. 

At the time, Egypt joined Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in severing ties with Qatar and imposed an illegal air, land and sea blockade on the country.

The quartet accused Qatar of supporting terrorism at the time, though Doha has consistently and vehemently denied those allegations as “baseless”.

Then, in March 2022, the Gulf state announced the signing of investment deals totalling $5 billion between Doha and Cairo.

Diplomatically, Qatar and Egypt have been at the forefront of mediation efforts in Gaza with the aim of reaching a complete ceasefire to the war.

Both countries had mediated a truce that lasted between November 24 and December 1.

The pause saw the release of at least 110 Israeli and foreign captives from Gaza as well as 240 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.