Photojournalist Shawkan has been behind bars for more than 1000 days.
#FreeShawkan
Committee to Protect Journalists
CPJ promotes press freedom worldwide and defends the right of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal.
CPJ promotes press freedom worldwide and defends the right of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal.
#FreeShawkan
ON VIEW
September 8 – 11, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION
Thursday, September 8, 6-9PMIn partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“Photography is not a hobby for me. It’s a way of life.” Mahmoud Abou Zeid, better known as “Shawkan”, an Egyptian photojournalist wrote from the infamous Tora prison. Shawkan has been imprisoned since August 14, 2013, when he was arrested while covering the dispersal of a protest of supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi, one of the most violent events in the country’s modern history. Shawkan, who was 25 at the time of his arrest, has now spent more than 1000 days behind bars.
Shawkan’s photos are a poignant reminder of the early optimism of the Egyptian revolution and the uprisings which swept the Arab world. From celebrations in Tahrir Square to revolutionary graffiti, the fact that his last photos feel dated is a visual testament to how long he’s been behind bars. Shawkan’s arrest is a marker of a dramatic change in Egypt, which has since transformed into one of the world’s worst jailers of journalists.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is showcasing the work of Shawkan in order to advocate for his swift release, and to highlight the plight of journalists and journalism in Egypt today. Shawkan is a recipient of CPJ’s 2016 International Press Freedom Award.For more information about Shawkan, click here.For more information about the CPJ, click here.
So reads a letter written by Mahmoud Abou Zeid, an Egyptian freelance photojournalist also known as “Shawkan,” has spent more than 1000 days behind bars.
In the letter more than a year ago, Shawkan described the physical and psychological toll that prison has taken on him, but maintained that he simply wants to be free to practice photojournalism: “My passion is photography, but I am paying the price for my passion with my life. Without it, a part of me is missing.”
Shawkan was arrested on August 14, 2013, while he was covering clashes between Egyptian security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi in Cairo.
Image: Freedom for Shawkan/Aymen Aref Saad
Egyptian journalist Shawkan on his 600 days in prison
Shawkan was arrested on August 14, 2013, while he was covering clashes between Egyptian security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi in Cairo. He has not been charged with a crime, and his detention has been renewed every 45 days.
In 2014, Egypt tied with Syria as the sixth worst jailer of journalists in the world, according to CPJ research.
To read Shawkan’s full letter, click here.
Egyptian journalist Shawkan on his 600 days in prison
“Photography is not just a hobby for me. It is an actual way of life. It’s not just how you hold a camera and snap a picture. It’s the way that you see life and everything around you.”
So reads a letter written by Mahmoud Abou Zeid, an Egyptian freelance photojournalist also known as “Shawkan,” to mark his 600th day behind bars. In the letter, which was published on Monday, Shawkan describes the physical and psychological toll that prison has taken on him, but maintains that he simply wants to be free to practice photojournalism: “My passion is photography, but I am paying the price for my passion with my life. Without it, a part of me is missing.”
Sign the petition for his release and join the Free Shawkan Facebook page
Send an email to Minister of Justice Mahfouz Saber calling for Shawkan’s release.
See some of Shawkan’s inspiring photographs on Demotix
To learn more about the threats facing journalists in Egypt from the journalists themselves watch CPJ’s Under Threat:
Sign the petition for his release and join the Free Shawkan Facebook page
Send an email to Minister of Justice Mahfouz Saber calling for Shawkan’s release.
See some of Shawkan’s inspiring photographs on Demotix
To learn more about the threats facing journalists in Egypt from the journalists themselves watch CPJ’s Under Threat