Latest Reported Attacks on Journalists in Egypt, Thursday 3 February:
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Friday 4 February, “Day of Departure/Day of Loyalty”:
* IPI website under DDOS attack on Friday 4 February.
* Al-Jazeera releases statement saying that their Cairo offices were burned and “stormed by gangs of thugs.”
* Update from Guardian blog: Eric Feijten has been re-arrested.
* Fifty three freedom of expression organizations, including IPI, have signed the following appeal (initiated by Article 19).
* IPI’s Turkish national committee wrote to IPI this morning with the following list of attacks against Turkish reporters in Egypt:
” — Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT, said its Egypt correspondent, Metin Turan, was beaten by a group of around 15 pro-Mubarak demonstrators with batons and lost a tooth in the attack. His camera, money and cell phone were stolen.– Three other Turkish journalists were also stopped and roughed up near Tahrir square, TRT said.– Foxtv reporter Erol Candabakoglu was kindapped by demostrators holding knives and stics. The reporter could only be set free by negotiations of Turkish embassy at Cairo.”
* Fox News producer Olaf Wiig, who was hospitalized with correspondent Greg Palkot after they were attacked, He was attacked after leaving his hotel to investigate a Molotov cocktail that had been thrown.
*11.20 CET: A representative from Latvian TV3 just reported to IPI by phone that two Latvian reporters who flew into Cairo earlier this week have been threatened by the Army chief. The reporters had their cameras confiscated on landing. They contacted Egyptian friends who were protesting, and who agreed to lend them a camera. This morning the friend, “Simon”, travelled to the hotel to deliver the camera, but left it in the car to avoid attention. When the three left the hotel to go the car, they were surrounded by a mob with with sticks who they believed to be undercover police. All three went back to the hotel and “Simon” returned to the car alone to get the camera – but he never came back. “Simon” called the reporters to say he had been taken away by men armed with sticks. Later, the reporters received a call from someone who identified himself as an army officer and asked what their connection to “Simon” is, suggesting that they leave the country or there would be consequences. The Latvian journalists are stranded in their hotel; a member of hotel staff has warned them not to leave as the hotel is surrounded and the lobby full of armed people.
“It looks like they want to push the journalists out, maybe they want to use more weapons against the protestors and they don’t want journalists here to see that,” one of the Latvian reporters told IPI by phone.
* Serge Dumont of Le Soir was released for a second time yesterday evening, the newspaper confirmed to IPI via email this morning. Dumont was scheduled to fly to Rome this morning.
* Dutch news site Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) reporter Eric Feijten has been released, the Guardian quotes an NOS’ head of foreign news as saying. From NOS’s statment: “He was beaten and threatened. Finally after 17 hours without drinking or eating, he was released in a small hotel near the airport. He immediately called the news desk.”
“A head of the ministry of security had told us just minutes earlier they knew where he was, but that they wouldn’t be so “friendly” the next time. How much proof do you need for this harassment being state organised?”
* Al-Arabiya Bureau Chief Randa Abul-Azm confirms to IPI via email that her staff were forced to leave their office yesterday after it was surrounded by mobs. “They are doing this with collaboration with some NDP members and some officials,” she wrote. “It is a way to close our office without issuing an official statement; our cameras were banned almost everywhere by mobs.”
Thursday 3 February:
*20.08 CET: A spokesperson at Canada’s Globe and Mail tells IPI that their reporters Sonia Verma and Patrick Martin have been released. The whereabouts of Sweden TV’s Bert Sundström remain unclear.
*19.16 CET: Journalist who asked not to be identified confirms widespread attacks against journalists by plainsclothes security officers, as well as mobbing by demonstrators. “It’s definitely become much more dangerous out there”, says journalist.
*18.45 CET: Unconfirmed reports that about an hour ago, six members of Catalan TV show 30 Minuts were rounded up while filming. Their names, reportedly, are Eduard Sanjuan, Mireia Pigrau, Sandra Rierola, Lluís Jené, Walter Ojeda and Roser Oliver.
*18.25 CET: Belgian journalist Serge Dumont, who was arrested yesterday, was released and then re-arrested today, Le Soir tells IPI.
*18.25 CET: Petros Papaconstantinou, Greek journalist stabbed by suspected pro-Mubarak supporters, is safe. A Greek freelance photographer, Giorgos Moutafis, was among several others attacked, says Ekatherimini.
*17.50 CET: @globalfreemedia: Missing NOS-cameraman Eric Feijten in #Cairo- last heard of at airport this morning- has anyone any news? at airport or anywhere else?
* 17.30 CET: IPI Press Freedom Manager Anthony Mills on today’s developments: “We are appalled at what appears to be an orchestrated campaign of violence directed at journalists covering the crisis in Egypt. Reports that journalists are being systematically hunted down, brutally assaulted, arrested and abducted are deeply disturbing.”
“This appears to be a ruthless campaign to silence the voices of the courageous reporters on the ground in Egypt who, at enormous peril, are seeking to bring vital news of momentous events to Egyptians and the world. We call on the Egyptian authorities and army to immediately intervene so that the deliberate targeting of journalists ceases. The world is watching.”
* Guardian blog reports BBC saying that their equipment was confiscated at the Hilton; BBC’s Jon Williams saying the same thing.
* Amnesty International reporting that a representative in Cairo has been detained, and columnist Mona Eltahawy has tweeted that “Ahmed Seif Al Islam, Khaled Ali” and “a Human Rights Watch delegate” have been detained.
* Le Figaro’s journalist was Cyril Louis was arrested today in Abu Hamous, a town about 30 miles from Alexandria, the French newspaper reports on its website.
* The two New York Times journalists detained earlier todayhave been released, the paper says.
*16.30 CET: Washington Post tweets that their Cairo bureau chief and photographer have reportedly been arrested.
* 16.40 CET: Al-Jazeera English just said that a Greek journalist has been stabbed and a Turkish journalist has been hurt in Cairo.
*16.35 CET: Hotel Hilton Ramses staff that just answered phone told IPI there were NO attacks on journalists, nor is the hotel surrounded, nor were any journalists pushed. (Not that this necessarily means anything).
* 16.25 CET: Journalist sends UNCONFIRMED tweet that a fellow reporter was thrown off the balcony of Hotel Ramses, which other tweeters are saying is surrounded by protesters with journalists trapped inside.
* 16.22 CET: Via @williamsjon, Jon Williams BBC foreign editor says “Mubarak protesters stormed hotels in Cairo, chasing foreign journalists. Army now securing Hilton hotel…”
*16.15 CET: Wissam Charaf, Lebanese reporter for Arte, is missing and his passport confiscated, head of channel tells AFP
* 16.00 CET: Various reports that prominent blogger @sandmonkey is out of jail, although his blog is still down.
* 15.45 CET: East Asia Correspondent Mark MacKinnon for Canada’s Globe & Mail tweeted that in addition to Sonia Verma, another G&M journalist Patrick Martin is also missing. MacKinnon also saying @sandmonkey has been released
* 15.45 CET Swedish TV’s Acting Head of Online News Hanna Larsson tweeted that Swedish TV’s mission correspondent Bert Sundström was last seen outside the Marriot. His photo here (this works, you may have to hit refresh).
*Dutch VTM’S reporters have left the country, according to their website.
* Globe & Mail’s Sonia Verma tweeted that she was taken away in her car @soniaverma and @davidcommon from CBC is still waiting for word from her.
* BBC Updated report about yesterday’s attack on their journalist is out.
* 15.04 CET: Award-winning journalist and blogger Wael Abbas @waelabbas said one hour ago that “2 visiting NYT journos been arrested.”AP’s correspondent has tweeted the same, says HuffPo.
*14.35 CET: CNN-IBN’s Sagarika Ghose says Rajesh Bhardwaj has been released only 30 minutes after being taken into custody. @sagarikaghose
*14.33 CET: Al-Jazeera’s Gregg Carlston @glcarlstrom reports spotters outside Cairo hotels using binoculars to watch balconies for camera crews and photographers.
* 14.30 CET: Reuters Wire (subscription required) says US State Department condemns “concerted campaign to intimidate international journalists” in Cairo.
* Periodista Digital reports that Mubarak supporters have assaulted and robbed journalist Cervera Gemma Saura, Guillem de La Vanguardia, Sal Emergui of RAC1 and Joan Roura of TVE3.
*14.00 CET: Guardian live blog confirms reports that prominent blogger @Sandmonkey has been arrested and that his blog was taken offline.
* 13.55 CET: Alan Fisher, Al-Jazeera English correspondet, says two reporters from the station have been attacked in Cairo. “We are chasing more details,” he says.
* AFP reports that Polish Television TVP has said three Polish journalists were detained today. Two other TVP journalists had been detained but were subsequently released, one of whom said his camera was broken by police.
* 13.55 CET: Observer’s foreign affairs editor Peter Beaumont @petersbeaumont says: Just seen soldiers take journalist right below balcony he appeared to be being grabbed by mob now being led away
*13.45 CET: Indian broadcaster CNN-IBN’s Rajesh Bharadwaj was taken away from Tahrir Square by the army, IBN tweets.
* 13.45 CET: Vlaamse Televisie Maatschappij’s (VTM) reporters Michael De Moor and Tim Verheyden have been released after they were arrested this morning and interrogated for three hours. They were reportedly put in a car with seven other journalists before being removed from the station. They have left Egypt, according to VTM’s website.
* Press release sent from Belgian newspaper Le Soir to IPI says that there is no new contact with Serge Dumont, who was detained yesterday. Says Dumont told the Belgian ambassadors yesterday that he is in the custody of pro-Mubarak military or possible presidential guards. The ambassador has submitted official requests for information. Also says three members of France 24 news team are being held by military intelligence. This was also tweeted by Alex Pigman from France24.
* 13.40 CET: RTVE website (Spanish) says that TVE’s reporter Rosa Molló was assaulted after she was identified as a journalist. She reported that her journalistic material was stolen.
* 13.15 CET: Shahira Amin of Nile TV confirms on Al-Jazeera that she walked out yesterday from the state television station to “be with the people.” This follows reports that May Kamel had left Nile TV.
* 12.22 CET: Peter Stefanovic, Europe correspondent from Australia’s Channel 9, said half an hour ago via Twitter that he was “pulled from taxi by police again. They told driver to leave and we were marched towards a police command centre. We were interrogated for a short while, then let go. Very hostile outside.” 15 minutes ago, he tweeted that “Hotel security just confiscated our second camera. They don’t want any crews taking them to their rooms.”
* 12.21 CET: Joenwils, head of dutch VTM news, tweets that their reporters Michael De Moor and Tim Verheyden were taken away this morning. (IPI: It remains unclear if they are still in detention).
* 12.15 CET: Al Jazeera English live stream cites AP, who say that the Prime Minister has apologized for the violence that happened yesterday, which Al-Jazeera says resulted in the deaths of up to seven people.
* 12.05 CET: Al Jazeera English reporter @glcarlstrom tweets “Crowd of pro-Mubarak thugs is rampaging on a rooftop near Tahrir Square, destroying someone’s camera equipment.”
* 12.05 CET: Hamish Macdonald from Australian TV tweets “just witnessed a foreign TV journalist being carried along along the road in front of our hotel by an angry mob. not sure where to.” Same report from Press TV tweeter. One hour ago, said he heard most journalists were being prevented from filming outside his hotel.
* 11.40 CET: AP Correspondent Mid-East Bureau says foreign journalists are being detained by the army near the Cabinet building.
* 11.56 CET AP Correspondent from Middle East Bureau tweets that Reuters, AP and New York Times have been kept outside of the Egypt PM press conference.
* 10.55 CET Trouw newspaper’s correspondent does not report that he was beaten, but that a British fixer and Doornbos were attacked.
* Dutch deStentor reports that NOS cameraman Eric Feyten and a journalist from Trouw newspaper were beaten. (Dutch only)
* @nrc: Dutch journalist Harald Doornbos was “almost lynched” in protests this morning. Article by NRC Handelsblad nrc.nl
* 10.20 CET: @jrug: Jonathan Rugman of Channel 4 News in the UK tweets that he saw “one journalist punched in the face, and another stabbed in the leg by pro-Mubarak thugs in Cairo this morning. On their way to hospital now.” An hour earlier, said he saw thugs believed to be secret police turning journalists away in central Cairo.
* 10.20 CET: Al-Jazeera correspondent reports that a crew of journalists were blocked by pro-Mubarak journalists near Tahrir square in Cairo, and were escorted to safety by the army.
* 9.44 CET: AP correspondent from Middle East Bureau tweets that he knows “AT LEAST five journalists who got beat up and equipment stolen in the past hour only”.
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Updates Wednesday 2 February afternoon:
* Spanish journalist Joan Roura TV3 attacked in Cairo. http://ht.ly/3P0Ye
* Romanian journalist Adelin Petrisor and his operator threatened with the knife by civilian Egyptians in Cairo http://bit.ly/fzzmJp
* Al Masry Al Youm journalist attacked by thugs when they overheard him on his phone trying to file a story, Twitter sources tell IPI.
* Danish TV journalist Steffen Jencen was interrupted during a live broadcast and attacked. (Link in Danish) http://bit.ly/gMNMSI
* @velvetart from Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) says EPA photographer Mohammed Omar, mid-forties, was injured. More on this, and the reported arrest of a ZDF journalist, here (in German only now).
* Jerusalem Post reports that Israelis were released.
* AFP reports that four Israeli journalists were detained for violating curfew. Other reports that three of those journalists work for Channel 2 in Israel are wrong, according to someone who picked up the phone at Channel 2.
16.56 CET: @Azadessa, news & features writer at Al-Jazeera, tells IPI via Twitter: “Our correspondent reported that her cameraman was hurt now in some of the clashes.”
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IPI Statement from Wednesday 2 February, and list of reported attacks on journalists:
IPI strongly condemns today’s violent attacks on local and foreign journalists trying to cover the clashes between pro- and anti-Mubarak demonstrators in Cairo today. News reports from the BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera English and other news outlets indicated that the attacks on the media and protestors were targeted.
“We strongly condemn these attacks and urge all parties to refrain from violence against journalists, local or foreign, who are simply trying to cover these demonstrations and clashes for the benefit of the public,” said IPI Press Freedom Manager Anthony Mills. “We are particularly concerned at suggestions that the attacks may have been linked to the security services.”
*Al-Arabiya Bureau Chief Randa Abul-Azm reported to IPI via Email that an Al-Arabiya journalist had been hit on the head and had suffered a concussion.
*According to Al-Jazeera’s Twitter feed, its reporters saw two other news crews being chased by pro-Mubarak protesters near Tahrir square, and heard chanting against Al-Jazeera.
*Spanish radio station Cadena SER tweeted that their car had been surrounded and attacked, and their website said that the crew had to be escorted to a nearby hotel by the army.
*Australian television Ten Network Australia’s Hamish McDonald tweeted that he had had his third camera seized in three days.
*On CNN, reports said that correspondents Hala Gorani and Anderson Cooper, producer Marianne Fox, and their film crews had been attacked by groups of pro-Mubarak supporters. (Correction/update: Anderson Cooper’s team members are Mary Anne and Neil).
*Online news site Le Soir reported that its journalist Serge Dumont, whose real name is Maurice Sarfatti, was “beaten and taken away by unidentified individuals in civilian clothes from the Shubra neighbourhood in Cairo.” He is missing.
*A Gulf News reporter tweeted that a female Associated Press correspondent had sustained a head injury.
*According to a report on their website, Al-Masry Al-Youm daily newspaper evacuated its headquarters in downtown Cairo today after reports that the independent daily Al-Shourouk’s headquarters in Mohandassin, in the neighbouring city of Giza, had been attacked.
*Live reports on CNN and Al-Jazeera indicated that pro-Mubarak supporters in particular were targeting foreign journalists. Human Rights Watch Deputy Director Joe Stork, who was in Tahrir Square, told Al-Jazeeera that from what he had seen, the pro-Mubarak supporters appeared not be demonstrating for anything but rather acting “aggressive.”
Chaotic fighting erupted between anti- and pro-Mubarak demonstrators in the areas near Tahrir square and the Egyptian Museum this morning, one day after President Hosni Mubarak agreed that he would not run in elections later this year. With no serious intervention by the army by mid-afternoon, unchecked violence continued to spread.
IPI is monitoring the situation and will bring you more updates on the violence against journalists, as we receive them.
