Security forces arrested at least 19 journalists, reporters and photographers, and a number of crowds were hostile to working journalists on the third anniversary of the January 25 Revolution, according to Press Syndicate member Abeer al Saady Saturday.
On her Facebook page, Saady said journalists reporting for various media, as well as a number of freelancers were detained by security forces, and then released, although some were also beaten by security forces.
El-Wady news reported their journalist Ahmed al-Kaab was detained by police in Faisal for two hours after covering clashes between Muslim Brotherhood and security forces before being released. Al-Nahar also reported the arrest and release of their journalist Eslam el-Kelhy covering event in Talaat Harb, downtown Cairo, who was accused of bomb possession.
The Front of Defense for Egyptian protesters stated on their Facebook page that journalist Mohamed Darwish was shot by birdshot in his leg during the coverage and he has been arrested and was moved to unknown place by the police. In Alexandria, governorate police forces arrested journalist Ahmed Fouad who works for Karmoz News Website, and he is still detained, reported the news site.
Wafd reporter Walaa Wahid was assaulted by pro-Sisi demonstrators in Ismailia who accused her of affiliation with Al-Jazeera News channel, Youm7 and Wafd portal reported.
A yearly census issued Dec. 1 by the Committee to Protect Journalists ranked Egypt among the world’s top 10 jailers of journalists in 2013. On Dec. 29, the government arrested four journalists working for Al-Jazeera, and three remain in police custody without official charges. Al-Jazeera is commonly perceived as being sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood, and the authorities said the journalists were conducting “illegal meetings.”
On Jan. 13, the Committee to Protect Journalists released a letter addressed to interim president Adly Mansour demanding their release, adding that “since July 2013, at least five journalists have been killed, 45 journalists assaulted, and 11 news outlets raided. Since that time, at least 44 journalists have also been detained without charge in pretrial procedures, which, at times, have gone on for months.”
