The Egyptian Revolutionary Council (ERC) condemns in the strongest possible language the detention, by German authorities, of the well known Al-Jazeera anchor Mr Ahmad Mansour. As ERC and pro-democracy Egyptian activists worldwide, we declare our full solidarity with him.

The detention of Mr. Mansour on the basis of trumped-up charges submitted by the coup authority in Egypt sends a very negative message to Egyptians at home and abroad about the Western governments’ duality of values and beliefs when it comes to dealing with the situation in Egypt.

The ERC calls upon the German authorities to immediately release Mr. Mansour. His arrest, within the broader context of western government’s support for the Sisi regime, not only condones, but actively assists that regime in curbing the freedom of the Egyptian press abroad, by threatening Egyptian journalists who speak out against the regime with extradition to Egypt.

Dr Maha Azzam, Head of the ERC, said, “The ERC reminds the German authorities that all human rights organisations have unequivocally recorded that the Sisi regime is brutally curbing freedom of press within Egypt through arbitrary arrest, torture and handing out of death sentences based on trumped-up charges in kangaroo courts”.