Mubarak, the Despot of Cairo Strikes Again

Two Egyptian bloggers, Ahmed El Geizawy and Moataz Adel, were arrested yesterday July 16, while on their way to cover a court session involving activists from the officially outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organisation, according to a Global Voices post based on a report by the "Egyptian Watchman" Blogger.

Latest reports, according to the same sources, talk about the release this morning of Moataz, while (I've just learned) Ahmed has been freed later in the day after a lengthy investigation.

The two, were know for their irreverence for the regime and their open criticism of Mubarak, the autocrat of Egypt since 1981.

The Egyptian blogosphere is probably the most active and lively in the Arab World. Bloggers have already been subjected in the past to arrests and police harassment. This is not the first time the Mubarak despotic regime tries to suppress dissent and free speech.

Egypt faces huge economic and human rights problems. The authoritarian regime, which wants to paint itself as a major Western ally in the forefront of the American "war against terror", has no alternative but to oppress its own people and to stifle opposition, be it secular or religious.

(picture by MadMonk)