Egypt 'conditionally releases' detained journalist

<p>By Sayed Fathi</p> <p><br></p> <p>CAIRO (AA) – An Egyptian court Wednesday ordered the “conditional release” of prominent journalist Hisham Gaafar.</p> <p><br></p> <p>“The Cairo Criminal Court has decided to release Hisham Gaafar pending certain conditions,” Ahmed Madi, the journalist's lawyer, told Anadolu Agency.</p> <p><br></p> <p>According to Wednesday’s court ruling, Gaafar must report to a local police station several times a week.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The head of the Mada Association for Media Development, Gaafar, 53, was remanded in custody in 2015 for alleged links to the banned Muslim Brotherhood group — an allegation he denies.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Rights groups have repeatedly called for his release, noting that his time in detention — without trial — had exceeded the two-year maximum allowed under Egyptian law.</p>