Sunday, April 24, 2016

Egypt's Press Syndicate Condemns Arrest Campaign Against Journalists, Activists 
Ahram Online
Saturday 23 Apr 2016

Egypt's press syndicate condemned the weekend arrests of some of its members and other activists in Cairo, Alexandria, and other parts of the country ahead of planned protests on 25 April.

"What happened recently with our colleauges requires serious action to stop the attacks against them and against all Egyptians in general, " a statement released by the union on Saturday read.

"The security state is back again and the entire nation will pay for the way the security forces deal with the opposition," the statement added.

Rights lawyer Amr Emam had told Ahram Online that at least 100 people were estimated to have been arrested around the country on Thursday night.

On Friday, ten of the activists who were arrested late on Thursday night in Cairo were released while dozens of others remain in custody or undergoing questioning by prosecutors.

The syndicate called on the authorities to investigate what it described as "random arrests" of some of its members, as well as the raiding of the homes of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El Saqqa.

The ministry of interior has not issued an official statement on the causes behind the arrests or a tally of those apprehended.

Last week, several thousand protestors took to streets to oppose the government’s decision to acknowledge Saudi Arabian sovereignty over the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir. They had vowed to stage another protest on 25 April, which marks Sinai Liberation Day.

"The politics of fear won't produce security, and the return of repression won't build a nation, and there is no future for a regime which doesn't listen to its opponents," the statement said.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/204260.aspx

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