The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) said on Sunday that thugs working with the formerly ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) attacked a journalist who published an interview revealing crimes committed by former NDP Secretary-General and Speaker of the Shura Council Safwat al-Sherif. In a statement on Sunday, the Cairo-based rights group said that remnants of the NDP continue to be capable of committing such attacks.
The ANHRI explained that a group of thugs on Thursday attacked Ali Saeed, an editor at the Radio and TV Magazine, after he published an interview with Etemad Khorshid in which she revealed many crimes committed by former intelligence officer Safwat al-Sherif.
Khorshid is the widow of Salah Nasr, who headed Egypt's General Intelligence Directorate during late President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s reign. Khorshid had published a book in which she disclosed intelligence bureau scandals that had taken place while the institution was headed by her late husband. The book also referred to a number of intelligence officers at the time.
The ANHRI quoted the journalist as saying that the thugs told him, "This is a warning to both you and her," in an apparent threat of further violence if they did not put a stop to the revelation of more secrets relating to al-Sherif. According to the ANHRI, Saeed accused al-Sherif of being behind the attack.
The network also said that assaulting the freedom of the press and terrorizing journalists and media personnel is nothing new to the remnants of the NDP and the former regime. It went on to say that this incident confirms that they are still able to get away with human rights abuses in Egypt and that they are ready to commit additional crimes in order to hide the truth and escape justice.
"The SCAF must put an immediate end to this madness and must bring Safwat al-Sharif and other NDP members accused of corruption and theft of public funds to speedy trials, especially since they will commit additional crimes against Egyptian citizens if they are left unpunished,” said the ANHRI.
Translated from the Arabic edition
