Army clamps down on journalists in Egypt
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Cairo: CNN-IBN video journalist Rajesh Bhardwaj was detained for a second time by the Egyptian Army on Thursday as he was returning to his hotel after being released by authorities after four hours of questioning. His camera has also been confiscated.
Bhardwaj after his release said, "Army seized my phone, passport and camera. They switched off my mobile phone and locked me inside. I requested them to allow me to talk to the Indian ambassador but they refused. They haven't returned my camera yet but I have got my passport and mobile back. When I again pleaded them to return my camera, they threatened to detain me. The army is basically targeting the journalists."
Earlier on Thursday, Rajesh was taken into preventive custody and his identity card and tapes were burnt. Bhardwaj along with some other media personnel was reportedly taken into custody by the Egyptian Army but released after some time. Bhardwaj was shooting the anti-Hosni Mubarak protests at Tahrir Square in Cairo when the Army took him into custody.
Click to play videoCairo: CNN-IBN video journalist Rajesh Bhardwaj was detained for a second time by the Egyptian Army on Thursday as he was returning to his hotel after being released by authorities after four hours of questioning. His camera has also been confiscated.However, Bhardwaj said that those who took him into custody were not in army uniform.
"They asked me from where I was. When I replied that I was an Indian they took me near some Army tanks and asked for my identity card. My identity card was torn and burnt. My tapes were taken away and burnt them. They even took away my camera but returned it after removing the tapes from it. Those who burnt my identity card and tapes were not in army uniform," he said.
He also said that some Army personnel opened fire at anti-government protestors in Tahrir Square.
BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes was arrested, handcuffed, blindfolded and interrogated. Wingfield-Hayes was arrested shortly after interviewing the advisor to Mubarak.
CNN's Anderson Cooper tweeted, "Situation on ground in Egypt very tense. Vehicle I was in was attacked. My window smashed. All ok."
Passports of several journalists were also taken away by Egyptian authorities.
Security forces and police harassed international media, from CNN to the BBC and AL Jazeera and NDTV crews. Egyptian security officers entered hotel rooms and confiscated camera equipment and damaged tapes.
The Ministry of External Affairs issued an advisory asking all Indian journalists to avoid troubled spots in Egypt. The Ministry also got in touch with the Egyptian government to get Bhardwaj released immediately after the news came out.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the attacks on journalists strongly. She said, "We condemn the attacks on reporters covering the ongoing situation in Egypt. This a violation of norms ! which gu arantees the freedom of the press and it is unacceptable under any circumstances."
Earlier, Army used tanks to separate supporters of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from the anti-government protestors. The Army stepped in after fresh clashes erupted in Cairo ahead of a Friday deadline for Mubarak to quit.
The violence started again just a few hours after Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq apologised for earlier violence and promised to hold an investigation into the deadly clashes that left at least six people dead and several others injured.
Supporters of President Mubarak targeted anti-government protesters in Tahrir Square reportedly from assault rifles.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the deadline day for Mubarak to step down, protesters gathered again at Tahrir Square and plan to march towards the Presidential Palace.
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