Egypt releases Aljazeera journalist
Aljazeera journalist Hussein Abdel Ghani has been released by the Egyptian authorities after being arrested on charges of false reporting.
Abdel Ghani, the bureau chief based in Cairo, was released on bail of 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,745) after being questioned by state security prosecutors on his coverage of the Dahab bombings.
Abdul Ghani said he told his interrogators that the professional nature of Aljazeera’s work prompts its journalists to seek diverse sources of news.
“We cannot take a government or an opposition source as the only one available. Seeking the truth requires that different sources have to be tackled by Aljazeera journalists who stick to professionalism, accuracy and integrity.”
Treatment
Abdel Ghani said that when he was arrested he had been thrown into a car and kept there for 40 hours before being taken to a police station.
He said he was grateful to his lawyer’s staff who had helped with his release, saying they had confirmed the violations committed against him during his detention.
Abdul Ghani also commended the solidarity expressed by supporters who swarmed the state security offices to back him.
“Because they feel that our siding with free information is a reflection of our siding with them,” he said.
Motion
Mustafa Bakri, a politician and journalist, has submitted an urgent motion to parliament for asking them to discuss the cause and implications of Abdul Ghani’s arrest.
Sameer Omar, an Aljazeera correspondent, said Abdel Ghani had been accused of “propagating false news that can disturb national security and cause chaos”. Abdel Ghani has denied the charges.
Abdel Ghani had been transferred from al-Nozha police station in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis to the state security court under tight security earlier in the day. Family members were not allowed to talk to him when he arrived.
Security officials declined to comment.
Jamal Fahmi, a member of the Egyptian Journalists Union, said the officers who detained Abdel Ghani were not in police uniform and described the arrest in Dahab, Sinai, as a “kidnapping”.
Three bombs on Monday killed at least 18 people in Dahab.
Abdel Ghani has reported from Cairo since the channel began in 1997. Previously he worked for the BBC Arabic service.