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| Security Forces in Egypt Detain Employee of American Embassy | Security Forces in Egypt Detain Employee of American Embassy |
| (7 months later) | |
| CAIRO — Security forces have detained an Egyptian employee of the United States Embassy who worked as a liaison to the Muslim Brotherhood, Egyptian news reports said Wednesday, stirring fears of pressure on Western diplomats who communicate with the Islamist opposition. | |
| Embassy officials said the employee, Ahmed Alaiba, was detained on Jan. 25, the third anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising here, and he has been held without charges since then. Egyptian news media have reported anonymous statements from Egyptian security officials that he had participated in “rioting” during demonstrations that day against the military ouster last summer of President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. | Embassy officials said the employee, Ahmed Alaiba, was detained on Jan. 25, the third anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising here, and he has been held without charges since then. Egyptian news media have reported anonymous statements from Egyptian security officials that he had participated in “rioting” during demonstrations that day against the military ouster last summer of President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. |
| An Egyptian government official briefed on the case said Mr. Alaiba was under investigation for both participating in an illegal demonstration and “communicating with an outlawed group.” | An Egyptian government official briefed on the case said Mr. Alaiba was under investigation for both participating in an illegal demonstration and “communicating with an outlawed group.” |
| The pro-government Egyptian news media often accuse the United States of conspiring with the Brotherhood, which the new military-backed government has outlawed as a terrorist group. Reports of Mr. Alaiba’s arrest have included accusations that he acted as a link with the Brotherhood leadership. | The pro-government Egyptian news media often accuse the United States of conspiring with the Brotherhood, which the new military-backed government has outlawed as a terrorist group. Reports of Mr. Alaiba’s arrest have included accusations that he acted as a link with the Brotherhood leadership. |
| Mr. Alaiba, an Egyptian citizen, has no diplomatic immunities. But some Western diplomats said that the leaks to the Egyptian news media about his arrest appeared to convey a message to them as well. Many diplomats were already wrestling with fears of possible retribution from the military-backed government if they continued meeting with Brotherhood officials as they did before the takeover. | Mr. Alaiba, an Egyptian citizen, has no diplomatic immunities. But some Western diplomats said that the leaks to the Egyptian news media about his arrest appeared to convey a message to them as well. Many diplomats were already wrestling with fears of possible retribution from the military-backed government if they continued meeting with Brotherhood officials as they did before the takeover. |
| Diplomats have met regularly with Brotherhood leaders for decades, first when they made up a minority block in Parliament under President Hosni Mubarak, and then when they won free elections in 2011 and 2012 to become the governing party. | Diplomats have met regularly with Brotherhood leaders for decades, first when they made up a minority block in Parliament under President Hosni Mubarak, and then when they won free elections in 2011 and 2012 to become the governing party. |
| But since it reclassified the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, the military-backed government has sent mixed signals to Western diplomats, journalists and nongovernmental organizations about whether communicating with Brotherhood representatives might now be deemed a crime. | But since it reclassified the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, the military-backed government has sent mixed signals to Western diplomats, journalists and nongovernmental organizations about whether communicating with Brotherhood representatives might now be deemed a crime. |
| Pressed by journalists to clarify the question, the government recently issued a statement declaring that no law prohibited communication with “accused criminals.” But the same statement also left vaguely worded exceptions, noting that such communications might be punishable offenses if they were related to “crimes that threaten the country’s national security” or involved “assisting or inciting” illegal activity. | Pressed by journalists to clarify the question, the government recently issued a statement declaring that no law prohibited communication with “accused criminals.” But the same statement also left vaguely worded exceptions, noting that such communications might be punishable offenses if they were related to “crimes that threaten the country’s national security” or involved “assisting or inciting” illegal activity. |
| An Egyptian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media, said the Foreign Ministry had not heard complaints from Western diplomats about restrictions on their activities. But several Western diplomats, also speaking privately, expressed concerns about signs that the Egyptian authorities were narrowing their tolerance of contacts with Islamists. | An Egyptian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media, said the Foreign Ministry had not heard complaints from Western diplomats about restrictions on their activities. But several Western diplomats, also speaking privately, expressed concerns about signs that the Egyptian authorities were narrowing their tolerance of contacts with Islamists. |
| The military-backed government arrested most of the Brotherhood’s leadership immediately after the takeover. More recently, though, the government also filed criminal charges accusing 20 journalists of conspiring with the Brotherhood to spread false reports about civil strife in Egypt, and some of the journalists have said they believe they were arrested merely for contacting Brotherhood members to report on their views. | The military-backed government arrested most of the Brotherhood’s leadership immediately after the takeover. More recently, though, the government also filed criminal charges accusing 20 journalists of conspiring with the Brotherhood to spread false reports about civil strife in Egypt, and some of the journalists have said they believe they were arrested merely for contacting Brotherhood members to report on their views. |
| “How do you accurately and fairly report on Egypt’s ongoing political struggle without talking to everyone involved?” one of the journalists, Peter Greste, wrote in a letter from prison. | “How do you accurately and fairly report on Egypt’s ongoing political struggle without talking to everyone involved?” one of the journalists, Peter Greste, wrote in a letter from prison. |
| Mr. Greste is one of four detained journalists who were working for the Qatari-owned news network Al Jazeera, which is the only Arabic-language news outlet still available in Egypt that is sympathetic to the Islamists. | Mr. Greste is one of four detained journalists who were working for the Qatari-owned news network Al Jazeera, which is the only Arabic-language news outlet still available in Egypt that is sympathetic to the Islamists. |
| Rena Netjes, a Dutch journalist with no ties to Al Jazeera who was also charged, has said the accusations against her related to a meeting with another detained Al Jazeera journalist, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian producer who previously worked for CNN. Prosecutors have accused him of belonging to the Brotherhood; Ms. Netjes fled the country before she could be arrested. | Rena Netjes, a Dutch journalist with no ties to Al Jazeera who was also charged, has said the accusations against her related to a meeting with another detained Al Jazeera journalist, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian producer who previously worked for CNN. Prosecutors have accused him of belonging to the Brotherhood; Ms. Netjes fled the country before she could be arrested. |
| Asked in a briefing on Wednesday about Mr. Alaiba’s arrest, a spokeswoman for the State Department said that the United States does not consider the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group and believes it should be included in the Egyptian political process. “We will continue talking to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as part of our broad outreach to the different parties and groups there,” the spokeswoman, Marie Harf, said. | Asked in a briefing on Wednesday about Mr. Alaiba’s arrest, a spokeswoman for the State Department said that the United States does not consider the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group and believes it should be included in the Egyptian political process. “We will continue talking to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as part of our broad outreach to the different parties and groups there,” the spokeswoman, Marie Harf, said. |
| Mr. Alaiba’s name appeared in the Egyptian news media last summer, in leaked emails that had been received by a top Brotherhood leader, Khairat el-Shater. | Mr. Alaiba’s name appeared in the Egyptian news media last summer, in leaked emails that had been received by a top Brotherhood leader, Khairat el-Shater. |
| The emails were apparently obtained by the Egyptian authorities when they arrested Mr. Shater and seized his computer after the military takeover. The messages included several from Mr. Alaiba requesting meetings with Mr. Shater for embassy officials or a visiting congressional delegation. | The emails were apparently obtained by the Egyptian authorities when they arrested Mr. Shater and seized his computer after the military takeover. The messages included several from Mr. Alaiba requesting meetings with Mr. Shater for embassy officials or a visiting congressional delegation. |
| “If Dr. Morsi isn’t available, the delegation would like to meet Mr. Shater at the same suggested time slot,” Mr. Alaiba wrote in one email. | “If Dr. Morsi isn’t available, the delegation would like to meet Mr. Shater at the same suggested time slot,” Mr. Alaiba wrote in one email. |
| A spokesman for the United States Embassy, Mofid Deak, said it was in contact with the Egyptian government about Mr. Alaiba’s status. | A spokesman for the United States Embassy, Mofid Deak, said it was in contact with the Egyptian government about Mr. Alaiba’s status. |