Editor protests at journalist's arrest in Cairo
Swiss magazine L’Hebdo has sent a letter to the Egyptian embassy in Bern protesting at the harsh treatment of one of its journalists during demonstrations in Cairo.
The French-language magazine's editor-in-chief complained that the journalist was arrested and threatened with death by Egyptian army and government soldiers.
The incident took place on February 3, a day when numerous foreign journalists were attacked and arrested.
In the letter to the Egyptian ambassador, Alain Jeannet wrote: “The bad treatment he suffered for five hours was a deliberate show of intimidation and repression … towards professionals who only wanted to do their work, that is to inform.”
The editor said he would be backing complaints by media and human rights associations and did not rule out lodging a complaint with the Swiss government.
Four Swiss journalists covering recent demonstrations by the public against President Hosni Mubarak were arrested in Cairo and returned home on Saturday.
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