Egyptian Bloggers Arrested at Protest
By Curt on Jan 20, 2008 in Imprisoned bloggers, Egypt
Human Rights Watch (via Reuters) quoted a freelance journalist saying that a blogger was arrested on Thursday, January 17th in Cairo. The police broke up a Kifaya-sponsored protest against cuts in government subsidies. The opposition group, whose name means “Enough.” Had called the protest for 3:00 p.m. that day in Saida Zeinab Square. The police arrested people, drove others to the desert on the outskirts of the city and headed off still others.
Per Bjorklund, a freelance journalist, told Human Rights Watch: “I arrived near the square at 3 p.m. There was a huge police presence, state security and riot control police, and plainclothes. We stopped our taxi well before we got to the square, and we were already seeing lots of police with radios. No one actually made it to the square. I saw at least 10 people being arrested, [and] I spoke through the window of a police van with Muhammad Gamal [a blogger] who told me there were already 10 people in the van when they brought him there. Then I was surrounded by six policemen or so who were shoving me around and took my SIM card and my camera flash [memory].”
Can anyone confirm Gamal’s arrest and tell us which is his blog? Were there other bloggers arrested as well?
Simon Columbus | Jan 21, 2008 | Reply
Curt -
could this Muhammad Gamal be the same one who was arrested on March 20, 2007?
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/03/20/malcom_arrested/
BarNyar | Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
I’m a blogger from Myanmar and a friend of Nay Phone Latt. We are not in hiding nor in fear. We blog, and we’re willing to take any responsibilities regarding with our blogs. Moreover, our friend arrest can’t be fully confirmed yet until this time.
Curt | Jan 30, 2008 | Reply
Considering the shenanigans the tinhorns have engaged in, according to Niknayman, and considering I’ve never heard of this person, I would be very skeptical that it is a “blogger from Myanmar and a friend of Nay Phone Latt,” especially with the use of the euphemism “Myanmar.”
Curt | Feb 2, 2008 | Reply
See update here: http://committeetoprotectbloggers.org/2008/01/29/burmese-blogger-arrested-others-in-hiding.
Niknayman says the commenter is legitimate. My apologies.