Four Al-Jazeera journalists arrested in Egypt for broadcasting 'false news'

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Guardian

Egyptian police have arrested four Al-Jazeera journalists, including the TV network's Cairo bureau chief, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, and a former BBC correspondent, Peter Greste.

The interior ministry accused the journalists of holding "illegal meetings" with the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which was declared last week to be a terrorist organisation.

The military-backed interim government has launched a crackdown on the movement ever since the army ousted the Brotherhood-backed president, Mohammed Morsi, from power in July.

An interior ministry statement accused the journalists of broadcasting "false news" that was "damaging to national security". It said that cameras, recordings and other material had been seized from rooms at a Cairo hotel.

The journalists were said to possess materials that promoted "incitement", such as information about campus strikes by students who support the Brotherhood.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/dec/30/journalist-safety-egypt

[Scootaloo]

1. A reminder to many on DU: You own this

Those of you who cheered and reveled over the overthrow of Egypt's elected government? You're part of this. Congratulations, folks. You're getting exactly what you wanted.

[starroute]

3. Nobody here "owns" anything

If you cheered on the storming of the Bastille, does that mean you "own" the Reign of Terror?

If you cheered when the tsar was deposed, do you "own" Stalinism?

Even popular revolutions can lead to dictatorship or civil war. Even military coups can end in the restoration of democracy. There's no way of telling in advance, and applauding what seems like a positive development at the time doesn't make you responsible for whatever negative consequences may result.

In much the same way, cheering on the pope doesn't mean you "own" the Catholic Church's sexism and homophobia. In a world where more things are getting worse than are getting better, you encourage small moves in the right direction wherever you find them.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. I don't know if they own it, but many here certainly supported the coup.

Anything was better than the Muslim Brotherhood.

But I haven't seen a lot of those folks commenting on recent developments.

[grantcart]

6. absurd

Revolutions are never tidy matters and they don't get it right on the first try.

The Moslem Brotherhood made a rookie mistake. When you win an election because you are the only organized party and don't have broad consensus for a governing policy the first thing you don't do is ram through constitutional changes to give you more power.

What they should have done is build a coalition government including significant non MB elements for a period of national reconciliation.

That is what the present government should do as well.

[mitty14u2]

2. Is it all over for Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood?

This is not the first time the Muslim Brotherhood has been outlawed by the government. The group was first banned in 1954. As a result, it established a large social welfare network around the country, providing educational and health care services to poor, rural areas. It was legalized again in 2011 after the fall of longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/inside-story/Insiders/2013/12/26/is-it-all-over-foregyptsmuslimbrotherhood.html

Original Story from Guardian

The two other arrested Al-Jazeera staff were identified by the network as Baher Mohamed and cameraman Mohamed Fawzy. All four have been in custody since Sunday evening.
Greste, an Australian, is an experienced foreign correspondent who previously worked for Reuters, CNN and the BBC. He won a Peabody Award in 2012 for a BBC Panorama documentary on Somalia.
Egypt's media have been under pressure since Morsi's overthrow. Several Islamist channels were closed down in the summer and their journalists were temporarily detained.
Sources: BBC/New York Times/Al-Jazeera

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/dec/30/journalist-safety-egypt

[TwilightGardener]

4. Geez, if we did that here, Fox News HQ would be an empty building.

[mitty14u2]

7. Egyptian secret police arrest Al-Jazeera journalists

Snip
The journalists "broadcast live news harming domestic security," the interior ministry said, adding they were also found in possession of Muslim Brotherhood "publications".

Snip
The government declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation last week after a suicide car bombing of a police headquarters killed 15 people.

It blamed the attack on the Islamists, although an Al-Qaeda-inspired group claimed responsibility for the bombing and the Brotherhood condemned it.

Media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a report that Egypt came third for the number of journalists killed on the job in 2013, after Syria and Iraq.


http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/egyptian-secret-police/937596.html

I always wonder what’s going on when Journalists are arrested even if the Guardian does not do a follow up!