EGYPT: Two Radio Free Europe journalists released from police custody
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Two Radio Free Europe journalists were released after three days in police custody and left the country Sunday, the broadcaster said.
Robert Tait and Abdelilah Nuaimi, both British citizens, were detained shortly after arriving Friday in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, RFE said in a statement.
Both are ‘safe and relatively well’ and are now on their way to Prague, the statement said. They were among dozens of journalists detained or attacked by pro-government mobs last week.
Tait was quoted as saying that ‘whatever official statements you might hear about the situation of detained journalists, we were not treated well.’
RFE said communication with the two had been difficult because police confiscated some of their equipment, including phones and cameras. The broadcaster said it would provide more details about their detention after they arrive in Prague.
Tait is a senior RFE correspondent covering the Middle East. Nuaimi is a reporter with RFE’s Iraq service.
Despite government assurances that journalists were free to do their work, RFE said another Cairo-based correspondent was held and questioned for over two hours at a police check point Sunday while traveling to the airport to meet with Tait and Nuaimi.
A correspondent for Al Jazeera’s English-language network was also detained Sunday. Ayman Mohyeldin was arrested by the military near Tahrir Square and held for seven hours, the network said.
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