Egyptian broadcaster suspended after marking birthday of Al Jazeera journalist

The official radio station in Egypt has suspended a broadcaster and news producer after they marked the birthday of Egyptian-born Ahmed Mansour, who works for Al Jazeera TV in Qatar.

According to the Director of the Radio Station, Hassan Madani, the two journalists were referred to the head of the radio news sector, Omayma Shukri, who confirmed that they would be punished.

Egypt has asked the international police agency Interpol several times to arrest Mansour on charges of membership of the Muslim Brotherhood and “torturing a lawyer” in Cairo’s Tahrir Square in 2011.

Mansour has denied the allegations and has described his sentence in absentia to 15 years imprisonment as “politically motivated”.