Six journalists have been arrested in Cairo in what appears to be a sign that the Mubarak regime is preparing to crackdown on dissent in Egypt after a certain level of tolerance over the last couple of years. The arrests come on the heels of a vote by the Egyptian Parliament for a two-year extension of the Emergency Law that has governed the country almost continuously since 1967. The journalists were covering a protest in support of judges who are facing a disciplinary committee for criticizing election abuses after President for Life Mubarak “won” more than 88% of the vote last September.
There had been hope in Egypt that Mubarak’s promises for reform were genuine, especially when he amended Article 76 of the Constitution to allow for multiple candidates in presidential elections. Journalists had become bolder in their calls for reform, even writing articles critical of the regime in Arabic language newspapers. Previously, journalists had stuck to English language newspapers to print their criticism, where such criticism was tolerated, as it did not reach a wide audience in Egypt. In 2004, writers and intellectuals gathered together to draft the Alexandria Declaration, a call for more democracy and transparent government. Journalists have played a vital role in stirring up popular pro-reform sentiments in the country.
It remains to be seen the extent to which a crackdown will occur in Egypt, but Thursday’s arrests could be the beginning of something much bigger. We shall see.
Published Date: May 11, 2006