Aswat Masriya (Cairo)

Egypt: Rights Groups Condemn Arrest of Activists for Filming Clashes

27 January 2013
Photo: Xinhua/STR
Protesters gather at Tahrir square during a demonstration against president Muhammad Morsi in Cairo, Dec. 1, 2012. Egypt's Constituent Assembly (CA) approved almost unanimously the final draft of constitution early Friday morning.

Rights groups have condemned the arrest of two activists during their filming of clashes between security forces and protesters from their balconies in Qasr Al-Aini Street near Tahrir Square.

A statement issued by Fouada Watch and the New Women Association said late on Saturday that Sarah Abdullah and Amira al-Asmar were arrested earlier in the evening.

Security forces broke into the activists' apartments on Saturday and arrested them without an arrest warrant or clear accusations, the statement said, insisting that filming an event is not an offense punishable by the law.

Calling for their immediate release, the feminist groups asked Egyptians to rally at the Abdeen Prosecution Office on Sunday in solidarity with the activists.

  • Comment

Copyright © 2013 Aswat Masriya. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 130 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.

Comments Post a comment

InFocus

Deadly Egypt Protests - Emergency Declared

President Mohamed Mursi has enforced emergency law in three Suez Canal governorates and called for dialogue with prominent politicians after deadly clashes. Read more »