Four American journalists were arrested on Monday while filming anti-government protests in Egypt, according to CNN.com.
Producer and former Al Jazeera journalist Jason Mojica, Egyptian-American energy consultant Sherif Helwa and two unidentified crew members had been covering the unrest in Suez for Vice magazine when they were handed over to military intelligence by Egyptian citizens.
Mojica carried an old Al Jazeera card with him and allegedly claimed to be working for the Doha-based network. “I don’t understand why they said they were reporting for Al Jazeera English when they didn’t have identification cards,” Lt. Col. Amr Imam of the Egyptian Armed Forces told CNN. “They are now in custody of the Egyptian 3rd Army in Suez.”
Helwa spoke to CNN and told them that they were arrested around 3 p.m. and that the army had been treating them well. ” It’s all just a misunderstanding,” he told the news network. The Vice crew was scheduled to return to New York on Tuesday.