IPA Vice President attacked by Egyptian thugs

3 Feb 2011: The Publishing House of IPA’s Vice President Ibrahim el Moallem, Dar el Shorouk, was attacked in Cairo around 2 p.m. CET by thugs close to the regime. Knives were brandished, stones were thrown. Fortunately people on the street have gathered before the publishing house building to defend and protect it.

Demonstration of 50 to 100 government sympathizers brandishing knives and similar weapons showed up before the main office building of Dar el Shorouk and tried to enter. They were pushed back by security guards, journalists and neighbors rushing to defend the publishing house. Speaking on his mobile phone during the attack, IPA’s Vice President publisher Ibrahim El Moallem said: “The government is using thugs to push back on the concessions made yesterday, and to restore order under the old rule. This is an attack on the human rights of the Egyptian citizens”.

“This attack on the publishing house of IPA’s Vice President is unacceptable. The battle for change in Egypt has not yet been won. The world’s publishers stand in solidarity with the Egyptian publishers, writers, and journalists in their quest for freedom of expression and freedom to publish.” says Jens Bammel, IPA’s Secretary General.

For more direct information about the situation and how it is affecting publishers, please contact the Dar el Shorouk Publishing House at +20 23 762 3277

For more about IPA’s position, please contact: Alexis Krikorian, Director, FTP, International Publishers Association - 3, avenue de Miremont CH - 1206 Geneva Tel: +41 22 704 1820 Fax: +41 22 704 1821 krikorian@internationalpublishers.org.

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