The BBC has made a formal complaint to Egyptian Minister of the Interior Habib Al-Adly following assaults by members of the Egyptian security services on four journalists, two of whom work for the BBC. The assault was made in full view of uniformed Egyptian security service officers who did not intervene.
The attack occurred on Thursday May 25 in the Egyptian capital Cairo. It followed the meeting of the General Assembly of the Journalists Syndicate. The meeting was being covered by the BBC. In the unprovoked incident, a car containing four journalists – including BBC staff journalists Dina Samak and Denna Gameel – was deliberately blocked by a taxi. Five men in civilian clothes left the taxi and surrounded the car. They were joined immediately by at least another 10 attackers who were waiting in the street.
The attackers broke the front windscreen and a side window while verbally abusing the occupants. Two of the party were then dragged from the car and subjected to an assault. The attack took place in full view of uniformed security service officers who did not intervene. One of the victims, journalist Karim Al Shaer, was badly beaten. He was subsequently taken away in a police car and is still in detention.
The journalists filed a complaint with the local police. A complaint has also been made by the Journalists Syndicate to the Attorney General but, so far, there has been no response or indication that an investigation has been launched.
The BBC runs a major production centre in Cairo because of its eminent position in the Arab world as a diplomatic centre and cosmopolitan centre of culture and learning.