[fse-esf] NUJ protest over attack on Egyptian journalists

[Alex Callinicos]

> Press Release
>> 1/6/06
>> NUJ calls demonstration after
>> Egyptian journalists attacked
>> The National Union of Jounalists  is to hold a demonstration outside Bush 
>> House, London, on Monday (5/6) in support of two BBC producers - both NUJ 
>> members - who were attacked after covering a meeting of the General 
>> Assembly of the Journalists' Syndicate in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
>> The attack on Dina Samak and Dina Gameel (who had been covering the event 
>> for the BBC Arabic Service) took place at 5pm on May 25 as they were 
>> leaving the syndicate's garage, accompanied by another journalist from a 
>> weekly newspaper, Gihan Saaban, and a young trainee Karim Al Shaer.
>> The security agents outside the building pointed at their car and in less 
>> than a minute a taxi turned up, blocked the way, and about five thugs got 
>> out and surrounded the vehicle. Around 15 to 20 more thugs came from both 
>> sides of the street and started hitting the car, breaking the windscreen 
>> and a side window while swearing and shouting.
>> They tried to drag Dina Samak out of the car and succeeded in grabbing 
>> Gihan Saaban. While Karim Al Shaer was shouting and trying to defend her 
>> they took him out of the car, beat him in the street and put him in a 
>> police car. At this moment, a number of judges and journalists rushed out 
>> of the building and the thugs left.
>> On the advice of the Journalists' Syndicate, the journalists went to file 
>> a complaint at the Maarouf police station in Cairo. They were kept 
>> waiting for over two hours and when they finally were seen, police 
>> refused to register their complaint. On 27 May, the Journalists Syndicate 
>> lodged a formal complaint with the Attorney General  about the entire 
>> incident
>> This is not the first time that a BBC correspondent in Egypt has been 
>> attacked - Mohamed Taha was once attacked while covering parliamentary 
>> elections. And a number of journalists are still in detention after being 
>> arrested while covering, or taking part in the demonstrations in 
>> solidarity with reformist judges.
>> Journalists in Egypt are now targeted not because of their political 
>> views but because of the very fact that they are journalists. Dina 
>> Samak's husband, a journalist, was arrested more than a month ago and is 
>> still held without a charge.
>> For more information contact Pierre Vicary on 0207 557 1197 or 07803 726 
>> 476.
>> Note to Editors: The demonstration will take place outside BBC World 
>> Service, Bush House,  Aldwych, London, from 1200-1300 on Monday 5th June.
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