Tarek Ahmed, the 24-year-old computer expert that hacked into Youm al-Sabea newspaper's website earlier this week, has been arrested and detained for four days pending investigation.
Ahmed is charged with denigrating religion, disturbing public security and illegally hacking a website.
Ahmed said he had been offended when the website posted the titles of books written by author Anis al-Deghedi that he viewed as derogatory to the Muslim Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
After hacking the website, Ahmed left a message explaining that he had removed the titles because "they defamed the prophet, his family, his companions and Islam as a whole." He subsequently deleted the message, however.
“My reaction was spontaneous and in defense of my religion,” he said.
Prosecutors are expected to soon summon the newspaper’s deputy chief editor to hear testimony.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
