The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) has condemned the continuous violation against journalists saying it recorded 12 violations by security against journalists and photojournalists while covering dispersal of protests staged in Abdel Moneim Riyad Square on Saturday and Sunday.
In a report issued on Monday, AFTE said these systematic practices against journalists and photojournalists come within policies adopted recently threatening freedom of journalism and breaching previous commitments toward protection of journalists.
On Saturday morning, former President Hosni Mubarak and some of his regime figures, including former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, were acquitted from charges of killing protesters during the 25 January revolution.
Protesters arrived later that day to Abdel Moneim Riyad Square, behind the Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square, to take part in peaceful protests against the verdict.
Clashes erupted later in the evening between security personnel and number of demonstrators. Security tried to disperse the protests using teargas canisters, water hoses and bird shots.
AFTE said the clashes resulted in the injury of Al-Fagr newspaper reporter Abdel Rahman Selim, who received a bird shot in his foot. Mohamed Salah, photojournalist with the same newspaper, was allegedly beaten by police, breaking his camera. All of Salah's photos were erased. Omar Abdel Rahman, reporter with the same newspaper, was insulted by police.
Veto newspaper photojournalist was allegedly insulted and beaten by police while escaping from the protests. Another policeman then intervened, ordering the officers to stop beating him after checking his ID. He was then ordered to stop taking pictures.
According to testimonies by Youm7 photojournalists Karim Abdel Aziz and Mostafa Yehia to AFTE, Yehia was wounded in his arm as a result of a teargas canister fired next to him, causing him to collapse onto the ground. He was arrested and deported to Abdeen police station, where he was kept for few hours before being released after seizing his mobile phone.
Mohamed Nour, correspondent to Al-Bawaba news, was kept at an armored vehicle before being deported to police station for few hours then released, according to photojournalist Bassam Ibrahim.
Mohamed al-Gebaly, correspondent to Dotmsr website was arrested then released, according to AFTE lawyer.
Moheb Emad, correspondent to Masr Al-Arabiya website was arrested at a coffee shop located downtown while combing the vicinity of Abdel Moneim Riyad and Tahrir squares.
Emad said he was randomly arrested along with others. He was beaten several times. He was taken then to an armored vehicle to be beaten again then taken to Abdel Moneim Riyad Square then to Abdeen police station before being beaten once again then released, according to testimony given to AFTE.
On Sunday, Ahmed Hosni and Omar Ismail, reporters of Youm7 and Al-Wafd newspapers were beaten among other photojournalists who earlier requested permission to take photos from behind an iron wall.
Mohamed Kamal and Hazem Abdel Hameed, photojournalists of Youm7 were beaten by police. Kamal was injured in his eye. They were released then after frequent requests to check their IDs.
In November, AFTE issued a report entitled “Status of Foreign Journalists and Correspondents in Egypt: 25 January 2011-2014,” which said that the journalists’ community in Egypt is facing unprecedented challenges and difficulties, in view of the widespread hostility against the media and the press.
