CAIRO: Egyptian police at dawn on Wednesday arrested two leaders of the April 6 Youth Movement as they sprayed political graffiti in Agouza.
General Coordinator Ahmed Maher and outreach coordinator Amr Ali were caught writing political slogans in support of the presidential candidacy in 2011 of the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei, who arrives in Cairo on Friday.
The two were referred to North Giza Public Prosecution office Wednesday afternoon, with no details about what charges they could be facing.
The Youth Movement has been planning a public reception for ElBaradei in a show of endorsement.
Member of the movement Amal Sharaf told Daily news Egypt that the two youths were arrested while they were in Maher’s car after having written political slogans encouraging the public to welcome ElBaradei at the airport.
“Security bodies are trying to abort the public reception for ElBaradei, said Sharaf.
She added that the slogans they wrote include “The Mubarak regime is over and “Support Change, support ElBardei’s candidacy and “Yes to ElBaradei for president in 2011.
A fourth slogan pertaining to constitutional changes said “Yes to amending articles 76, 77 and 88 of the constitution.
Early Wednesday, members of the April 6 Youth Movement as well as opposition activist Ayman Nour, former head of Al-Ghad party, who accused the police of kidnapping Maher and Ali, gathered in from of the Agouza police station where the two were held.
The activists demanded the youths’ release and threatened to widen the scope of their protest if their demands are not met.
Nour filed a complaint to the Prosecutor General against the Interior Ministry, demanding the two youths’ release.
Nour told Daily News Egypt that “Maher and Ali are the first victims of ElBaradei’s welcome plans and the ruling regime will launch a series of arrests in the next couple of days to abort the popular reception.
Controversy loomed over the possibility of ElBaradei’s presidential candidacy in 2011, especially after he predicated it on constitutional amendments that guarantee fair elections, triggering a smear campaign against him in the state-run press.
According to the current constitutional articles regulating presidential elections, ElBaradei cannot technically join the presidential race because he does not belong to any political party.
Even though he has publicly announced that he has no intention of running in the elections, a campaign supporting ElBaradei called on all political powers as well as activists and citizens to join the public reception.
