Prominent Egyptian analyst accuses government of suppressing free speech

A prominent Egyptian political analyst, Amr Hamzawi, has condemned the “coup” government for its crackdown on the mass media and political activists.

Posting on his Twitter account, Hamzawi said: “After Hisham Jaafar, Ismail al-Iskandarani and Six April youth, the turn of Ali Taher, member of the Freedoms and Rights Committee of the Doctors Union, has come.”

He continued: “The reason for arresting Taher is the campaign for the Right of Healthcare inside Prisons. The reason for storming the office of Masr Al-Arabiyah is the freedom of expression.”

Hamzawi added: “The security machine suppresses every free voice. It besieges the little space of freedom that remains in Egypt. It releases the hands of its supporters to defame those who resist oppression.”

He concluded: “The official, who refuses to surrender to the domination of the security machine and seeks independence, faces the wrath of the security machine.”