BBC broadcast journalist Shaimaa Khalil was detained by the Egyptian military on Monday while covering the latest protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, reports Agence France-Presse. Several people were injured and dozens detained as officials cleared the area where protesters had gathered for a three-week long sit-in.
Khalil had posted updates on Twitter up until her arrest, including photos of armored vehicles and groups of riot police and military surrounding the square. She even tweeted: “Careful, someone just told me, `They arrest anyone taking photos´.” In her last tweet, Khalil described the atmosphere as “extremely tense.” BBC’s foreign editor Jon Williams also used the social media site to express his concern for Khalil’s arrest. “Very concerned at the detention of Shaimaa Khalil in Cairo – a good journalist doing her job. Doing all we can to secure her release,” he tweeted earlier today.
Despite the strides made in the January 25 revolution, the media in Egypt have suffered some recent setbacks as protesters return to the streets demanding a swifter execution of change. Egypt’s Ministry of Information, which was abolished after the Spring revolution, was reinstated in July, and local journalists have experienced continued harassment from the military over any critical reporting.
One beacon of hope lies in the proposal of a freedom of information law, which would demand more transparency from the government and more access to government information for Egyptian citizens. A draft of the law is currently in deliberation at the Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center.
“We are hopeful at the prospect of a Freedom of Information law in Egypt and hope that it does in fact lead to more transparency,” said IPI Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. “In the meantime, we ask authorities to remain diligent in protecting the rights of journalists to do their job unencumbered.”