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| Africa North |
| Egypts army instructed to help foreign media |
| 2011-02-05 |
| [Asharq al-Aswat] Egypt's army has been instructed to assist foreign media and help protect them from groups in plain clothes who have attacked and beaten journalists as the capital's streets have become lawless, the cabinet said. The United States Thursday condemned a "concerted campaign" to intimidate foreign news hounds covering protests against Mubarak and said Egypt must not target journalists. Britain also criticised the harassment of journalists. "I spoke to the prime minister about journalists' problems. He was very much disturbed. He contacted the armed forces and instructed them to facilitate the job of the foreign media and stop any interference in their job," cabinet front man Magdy Rady told Rooters. "The army will help you in areas where you have contact with people," he added, referring to groups in civilian clothes who have been prowling the streets and often hassling journalists. Two news hounds working for The New York Times were jugged overnight and released, the newspaper said. The Washington Post's Cairo bureau chief Leila Fadel and photographer Linda Davidson were jugged covering Thursday's protests. They were later released but Egyptian authorities told them they were not permitted to leave a hotel near the airport, Douglas Jehl, the newspaper's foreign editor, said. Among other cases, Rooters television said one of its crews was beaten up Thursday close to Tahrir Square while filming a piece about shops and banks being forced to shut during festivities. |
| Posted by:Fred |