Urgent statement
Cairo- 2:00 pm, 11 May 2006
Downtown Cairo area witnessed today a new crime within the crime series committed by Egypt’s security bodies. State Security forces arrested more than 6 journalists and reporters while they were covering the protests organized today in solidarity with the Egyptian judges. The Judges themselves and their colleagues were denied entrance to the High Court Building (Dar al-Qada’a al-Aly) to attend the “Qualification Session” that was appointed at 9:00 am today.
After more than an hour standing in a blockade on the stairs of the Cassation Court, the judges went back to the Judges’ Club along with their defense council, while the session started in their absence at about 11 pm.
Plain- clothed police officers dragged and assaulted the news agencies reporters and cameramen; Reuters’ and al- Jazeera’s cameras were seized from the cameramen; al-Jazeer’s cameraman was also brutally assaulted.
Massive Security forces along with Karate flocks prevailed in the town center assaulting, hitting and kidnapping dozens of demonstrators in three main demonstration: in Talaat Harb Sq, near by Ramsis Sq and in 26 July St,.
The signed organizations believe that:
This manner in dealing with journalists and reporters doing their jobs is a gross violation to the freedom of expression and the right to information which the government is always bragging about; as well as it reveals to what extent the police and the Ministry Interior have reached in their brutality, savage and wildness.
Such manner requires serious and urgent actions seeking not only releasing the kidnapped persons, but also to hold accountable all parties responsible for these inhumane practices.
The signed organizations :
1-The Arabic Network for Human Rights
Information
2-Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
3-Civil Observatory for Human Rights
4-Egyptian Center for Housing Rights
5-Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
6-Habi Center for Environmental Rights
7-Hisham Mubarak Law Center
8-Labor and Syndicates Service Center
9-South Center for Human Rights
10-The Association for Human Rights Legal Aid
11-Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti Violence Studies
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