"....In all my wisdom, I decided to refute her claim, telling her of my own first-hand experience on Mohamed Mahmoud street in late November, where scores of Egyptians were killed by live fire from the Central Security Forces and the military. She would have none of my talk, calling me a liar and prompting a group of men from the ligaan shaabiya, or people’s committee that guarded the entrance to nearby streets, including my own, to come over. They demanded to see my passport and know why I was there. Attempting to leave the area, they grabbed my arms and neck, forcing me to stay.
A uniformed military officer was quick to the scene, grabbing me and pulling me out of what I thought was harm’s way. Another soldier took me toward the cabinet building. I believed that I would be let go shortly. Instead, I was taken in a headlock, lifted off my feet and dragged into the courtyard area, where the grip on my neck increased. I was slapped in the face numerous times and hit on the back by unknown assailants....
I was taken to an open grass area where dozens of bandaged and brutally attacked detainees were languishing on the ground. It was then that the fear that I could be beaten worse began to enter my mind. I was lucky, however, as they sat me down a ways away from the others and took my camera and computer. They proceeded to go through every file on the computer, deleting all things they felt “were not appropriate to tell of Egypt.” Then they re-formatted my computer and handed it back.
After waiting there with the others for about an hour, I was moved to a pseudo holding cell at the entrance to the Cabinet building, where I waited. A group of plainclothes men arrived. One handed another a metal rod, and the conversation they had in Arabic was of what they wanted to do to me. Where they wanted to shove the rod and how they wanted to “destroy my face.”
After an hour of waiting, the major (I learned later) who had taken me from the street, came into the room and told me that “If I see you again near the street, I will slit your throat,”.....
I called the Embassy – surprisingly they allowed me to keep my phone – and began a dialogue to have someone from the embassy come and have me released. They refused to do so, citing diplomatic issues between Washington and the Egyptian security forces as well as the security situation on the street outside. I was angry at my government.
Repeatedly, Embassy officials said they could not come and retrieve me due to the security officer at the embassy banning all personnel from being near the scene. I was perturbed, considering the American Embassy is, literally, on the opposite side of the street approximately 100 meters from where I was being held....."
A uniformed military officer was quick to the scene, grabbing me and pulling me out of what I thought was harm’s way. Another soldier took me toward the cabinet building. I believed that I would be let go shortly. Instead, I was taken in a headlock, lifted off my feet and dragged into the courtyard area, where the grip on my neck increased. I was slapped in the face numerous times and hit on the back by unknown assailants....
I was taken to an open grass area where dozens of bandaged and brutally attacked detainees were languishing on the ground. It was then that the fear that I could be beaten worse began to enter my mind. I was lucky, however, as they sat me down a ways away from the others and took my camera and computer. They proceeded to go through every file on the computer, deleting all things they felt “were not appropriate to tell of Egypt.” Then they re-formatted my computer and handed it back.
After waiting there with the others for about an hour, I was moved to a pseudo holding cell at the entrance to the Cabinet building, where I waited. A group of plainclothes men arrived. One handed another a metal rod, and the conversation they had in Arabic was of what they wanted to do to me. Where they wanted to shove the rod and how they wanted to “destroy my face.”
After an hour of waiting, the major (I learned later) who had taken me from the street, came into the room and told me that “If I see you again near the street, I will slit your throat,”.....
I called the Embassy – surprisingly they allowed me to keep my phone – and began a dialogue to have someone from the embassy come and have me released. They refused to do so, citing diplomatic issues between Washington and the Egyptian security forces as well as the security situation on the street outside. I was angry at my government.
Repeatedly, Embassy officials said they could not come and retrieve me due to the security officer at the embassy banning all personnel from being near the scene. I was perturbed, considering the American Embassy is, literally, on the opposite side of the street approximately 100 meters from where I was being held....."
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