Al Jazeera (DStv 406 / TopTV 401) has been targeted by Egyptian authorities.
Al Jazeera staff members are being held by Egyptian authories after 28 were initially detained, and the news service Associated Press Television News (APTN) has also been asked to withhold their news feed from Al Jazeera's channels.
Reuters yesterday reported that Egyptian troops with armoured vehicles took over the central Cairo TV studios of Egypt's state television on Wednesday during the military coup ousting Egypt's president Mohamed Morsi.
Reuters reported today that Egyptian forces raided the Cairo offices of Al Jazeera's Egyptian television channel on Wednesday as well and detained staff.
Today I'm told by Al Jazeera that Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr's managing director is being held, that Al Jazeera Arabic's broadcasting equipment had been seized and that APTN has been "ordered" to withhold feed from AlJazeera's channels by the Egyptian authorities.
"Al Jazeera is demanding the immediate release of staff members detained in Cairo," says Al Jazeera.
"28 Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr staff members were detained, with most released later.The channel's managing director Ayman Gaballah and Al Jazeera Arabic's broadcast engineer Ahmad Hasan remain in custody however."
Al Jazeera says that APTN has been ordered to deny Al Jazeera channels access to their live services. Cairo News Company (CNC) has also been told to withhold access to broadcast equipment.
"Ayman and Ahmad must be released unharmed immediately," says Mostefa Saouag, the acting director general of Al Jazeera in s statement."Journalists should not be detained for doing their jobs.
"There are big events taking place in Egypt and the world tunes to Al Jazeera at times like these. The viewing public will not accept being cut-off from news and information. Regardless of political views, the Egyptian people expect media freedoms to be respected and upheld."
"We are grateful to all the media organisations giving us their support on these matters," says Mostefa Saouag.
"Al Jazeera has always reported comprehensively in Egypt, even in difficult circumstances. We will continue to do that with our usual approach of encompassing all opinions with accuracy, balance and fairness."
