AP: Egyptian Journalists Protest Colleague's Detention

Headline: Egyptian journalists protest colleague's detention

PAKINAM AMER
Associated Press Writer

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) _ Journalists and pro-reform activists demonstrated in front of Cairo's Press Syndicate Thursday, calling for authoritiesto release a fellow journalist held in detention.
Press Syndicate head Yahya Qalash said journalist Adel al-Ansary was arrested on Sunday, "taken from his home at dawn, about three in themorning, in a humiliating way. The police terrorized his children andhis family."
The press committee sent the State Prosecutor a petition calling foral-Ansary's release, and organized a sit-in as well.
The reason al-Ansary was detained was not clear.
"We do not just protest the unrightful imprisonment of one person,but we protest the political system as a whole," Qalash said.
Demonstrators held al-Ansary's picture and signs saying "Free Adelal-Ansary." They shouted: "Enough to jailing writers, enough tojailing readers, enough to jailing people."
Kifaya members distributed flyers attacking the government policies and the detainment of both al-Ansary and Muslim Brotherhood members. They also gave protestors handcuffs made of black paper to wear, shouting in microphones that they want Interior Minister Habib al-Adlyto resign.
The syndicate gave out copies of a book titled "Our Nation and theGreater Middle East" that al-Ansary had written.
"Al-Ansary is an editor for IslamOnline and my colleague, I do notconsider him an extremist," said Dalia Youssef, a fellow journalist."He uses legal channels to express his views, but here in Egypt anyIslamist activist faces problems."

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