Two Egyptian bloggers arrested and held in unknown locations in less than a month

One blogger and one Facebook activist arrested

An Egypt Facebook activist was abducted by Police soliders, who attacked his home at 3:30am, shortly before the break of dawn. Rami El- Swaisi, 21, was taken to an unknown place since 2 days, when Officers and armed police soldiers broke into the home in Giza and took some of his personal property including his cell phone, laptop, and wallet.

Rami al-Swisi studies in a language institute and is an activist in the 6th of April youth movement. He has a Facebook account called Mahtag Akoud Hakky (I need my rights back!) where he practices his online activism.

Ahmed Maher, an activist with the 6th of April movement, told The Arabic Network for Human Rights that Rami received calls from state security officers demanding him to appear in front of them. When he refused, he was threatened several times in an attempt to pressure him into leaving the 6th of April movement.

6th April movement issued a statement condemning the abduction of its member, confirming that:

Everyday our corrupt regime shows us how weak it is and how scared of any word we say about injustice and our calls upon freedom and safe life.

That comes a month after kidnapping another blogger on 6th February , as four police officers arrested Dia’ Eddin Gad beat him in front of his house house in Kattour, Garbeiyah province before taking him in a police car to an unknown destination. 


Dia’ Eddin Gad is author of Sawt Ghadib blog (An Angry Voice). The police did not reveal the reason behind his arrest or where he was being detained

ANHRI says that it is clear a lack of punishment of the police for the crime of kidnapping Philip Rizk and Dia Eddin Gad on Feb 6th, encouraged them to perpetrate the same crime for a third time in less than a month. The ANHRI added in a statement:

We have to press hard on the prosecution to bring these officers to court, especially because we know the number of the car plate that kidnapped him.

Egyptian Blogger Muhammad Adel continues his hanger Strike

maeitThe detained blogger Muhammad Adel continues a hanger strike, protesting being placed in solitary confinement and at his mistreatment by prison authorities, who have not been allowing him to leave his cell, thus putting his life in danger. Adel started his protest since 28th February in Tora Farm prison, and so far, no investigation took place to protect his life from any danger posed by it.

Right after the detained blogger started his hanger strike The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) submitted a report to the attorney general demanding that an immediate investigation into Adel's hunger strike. They also demanded that the prosecution open an investigation into any mistreatment by the prison's administration against the blogger.

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