A leading media watchdog says an Egyptian military investigation of journalists and bloggers shows the country's ruling generals are trying to muzzle the media.
The journalists and bloggers are among 12 prominent figures under investigation over allegations they incited hatred against the Egyptian army and tried to overthrow the government.
The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said Friday it also condemns attacks on journalists covering protests in Egypt. A correspondent for state television lost an eye when police shot him in the face during clashes between security forces and protesters last month.
Since taking over from Hosni Mubarak a year ago, Egypt's ruling generals have consistently targeted critics and tried to intimidate top activists and media figures by summoning them for questioning.
Alaa Al Aswany, one of the writers under investigation, said Thursday that the complaint against him and 11 others is an attempt to taint revolutionaries and extinguish the revolution, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.
“Criticism of Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, targets his performance as the head of political authority, not because of his military rank,” Aswany said at a seminar in Cairo.
