Mahmoud Hussein, secretary-general of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, has called on the head of Egypt’s press syndicate to investigate an assault by a photographer on guards outside the Brotherhood’s Cairo headquarters, asserting that the photographer had deliberately provoked the guards before photographing their violent reaction.
Hussein sent a video to Diaa Rashwan, the newly-elected head of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, which Hussein says shows the photographer “assaulting guards outside Brotherhood headquarters with the intention of provoking them [to violence] and then taking photos of them.”
In a letter published by Al-Ahram’s Arabic-language news website, Hussein said: “We hope that you [Rashwan] will investigate the incident and take the necessary steps regarding this violation of journalistic ethics.”
“We emphasise that we fully respect journalists and media personnel, including those who performed their jobs professionally [on Saturday],” Hussein asserted in the letter.
A number of protesters, journalists and photographers were attacked by members of the Islamist group on Saturday after a group of young people attempted to spray anti-Brotherhood graffiti near the group’s main headquarters.
Several newspapers – including privately-owned Al-Mary Al-Youm and Al-Watan – said that their correspondents had been assaulted by building guards.
Later on Monday, the office of Egypt’s prosecutor-general ordered the arrest of three employees of the Brotherhood’s Cairo headquarters.
A video, which has been widely circulated on social-media networks since Saturday, shows Brotherhood members attempting to forcibly disperse the crowds, attacking media workers who had been covering the event.
The video footage shows a well-built man who appears to be beating up anti-Brotherhood activist Ahmed Doma before slapping female activist Mervat Moussa in the face.
Brotherhood officials have announced plans to hold a press conference on Thursday morning to comment on recent events outside the group’s headquarters.
Ahram
