Brussels, 20/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - Hélène Flautre (Greens-EFA, France), deputy chairwoman of the European Parliament human rights and freedom sub-committee, has, in a statement, condemned the sentences handed down to journalists in Egypt. These sentences, she says, were about expressing opinions and represented a serious attack on freedom of expression. She felt they were symbolic of excessive restrictions on fundamental rights which have been current in Egypt for more than 25 years, particularly in the application of martial law. Flautre said that such practices were not compatible with the international standards which Egypt had committed itself to respecting. Several human rights organisations are currently active in campaigning against the sentences of the one year's imprisonment for the four journalists, found guilty of harming the general interest in articles that were critical of the regime. (fb)