In a move described by the head of the Journalists Syndicate as “unprecedented” and a “violation of law,” two journalists were arrested by police after security forces reportedly stormed the Syndicate on Sunday night. According to Yehia Qallash, up to 50 police officers stormed the Syndicate to arrest two journalists who had been staging a sit-in demonstration. The two journalists arrested were identified as Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka. The general prosecution had issued arrest warrants for both journalists on a number of charges that included spreading false information about the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir, said Qallash. At an impromptu press conference outside the Syndicate, Qallash called for the resignation of the Minister of Interior over the “violations”. However, in a statement released via Facebook, the Ministry of Interior denied Qallash’s account of events, saying that a total of eight police officers had been sent to arrest the two journalists from their homes, where they were not found. The ministry accused Badr and El-Sakka of “hiding” and using the syndicate as a “safe haven” and capitalizing on the involvement of the syndicate to create a crisis and cause…
Egypt Police Raid Journalists Syndicate in ‘Unprecedented Violation of Law’: Syndicate Head
May 2, 2016
