Free Galal El-Behairy
Galal El-Behairy is an Egyptian poet and collaborator of well-known musician Ramy Essam, often referred to as the voice of the 2011 Arab Spring movement in Egypt. El-Behairy was detained in Egypt on March 3, 2018 after writing the lyrics to Essam’s most recent single and publishing a new book of poetry earlier this year. He was later charged with “publishing false news” and “insulting the army” in his poetry, and also continues to face a civil case regarding the Essam song.
On March 3, 2018, authorities arrested El-Behairy, and he was not seen or heard from by family or lawyers until March 10, when he appeared before the state prosecutor, allegedly displaying signs of torture. Referencing the Essam song and El-Behairy’s own poetry volume published around the same time as the lyrics, the prosecutor charged him with “insulting the Egyptian army” and “contempt of the Islamic religion.” He was also accused of having ties to a terrorist group and misusing social media.
Authorities decided on April 17, 2018 that they would remand El-Behairy in custody for an additional fifteen days while they continued their investigation into the matter, but a verdict was expected in May. The date was then postponed twice more before El-Behairy was finally tried by a military court on July 31.
The title of the young poet’s most recent anthology, “The Finest Women on Earth”, was attacked at the trial for apparently insulting the Egyptian armed forces, in a play on a phrase typically used to describe the military. El-Behairy was eventually convicted of the charges of “publishing false news” and “insulting the army”. He was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 10,000 Egyptian pounds (about $560 USD).
El-Behairy also penned the lyrics to Essam’s newest single “Balaha”, which was released on YouTube in February 2018. The song, which immediately went viral in Egypt with almost 4 million views, criticizes the government of President Sisi in Essam’s signature hip hop style. Essam, who lives in exile in the U.S., remains free from custody; however, El-Behairy faces charges of “insulting Islam and the current administration”, for which he has not yet been tried.
