Page 10 - aruba-today-20190712

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 12 July 2019

Egypt arrests Mubarak supporter who criticized government

By NOHA ELHENNAWY rising that drove Mubarak
Associated Press from power.
CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian On Thursday, parliament
prosecutors Thursday voted with a sweeping
charged the administrator majority in favor of a presi-
of a Facebook page that dential decree extending a
supports former autocratic nationwide state of emer-
president Hosni Mubarak gency for another three
with spreading false news months. El-Sissi’s regime
and undermining national argues that emergency
interests after a post im- laws are needed to crush
plied Mubarak did more the Islamic militants he has
to help Egypt’s poor than been battling for several
the current government of years, especially in the res-
President Abdel-Fattah el- tive northern Sinai Peninsu-
Sissi. la. Human rights advocates
Karim Hussein, whose Face- complain the emergency
book page “I am sorry, Mr. laws are also used to re-
President” has more than 3 press peaceful political ad-
million followers, was arrest- versaries.
ed Tuesday, a few days af- The High State Security
ter he posted video clips of prosecutor ordered Husse-
Mubarak’s old speeches, in in’s detention for 15 days.
which he expressed com- He was also charged with
passion for the poor and joining a banned group
voiced his vehement op- that seeks to undermine
position to lifting state sub- In this Dec. 26, 2018 file photo, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, center, arrives with his the state — an allusion to
sidies. Mubarak was forced sons Alaa, left, and Gamal, right, to testify, in a courtroom at the National Police Academy in the the Muslim Brotherhood
from power by a pro-de- Egyptian capital, Cairo. organization, an accusa-
mocracy uprising in 2011. Associated Press tion that has been recently
The post came on the heels an Egyptian human rights won the African tourna- popularity. Egypt under brought against most critics
of the government’s deci- lawyer. “Then, he became ment several times under el-Sissi has implemented of El-Sissi.
sion to raise fuel prices by accused of spreading false Mubarak’s rule. a sweeping crackdown “The fabrication of allega-
up to 30 percent for the news. In fact, it is not false The post alluded to the on dissent, jailing activists, tions is no longer the ex-
fourth time in three years news and he has not com- early elimination of Egypt’s bloggers and others under clusive work of the police
— a move expected to in- mitted any crime. He is just national team from the vague laws that criminal- or the state security appa-
flict further pain on Egypt’s expressing his views.” current tournament, which ize nearly any criticism of ratus but the prosecution
middle class and poor. Earlier this week, Hussein Egypt is hosting. The defeat authorities. Egypt’s military has become involved too,”
“This is not first time (Hus- posted a photograph of has been a source of em- overthrew the country’s first said Eid, the rights lawyer.
sein has) published online, Mubarak holding the tro- barrassment for the Egyp- elected president, an Is- “This is very dangerous be-
but the catastrophe hap- phy of the African Cup of tian government, which lamist who proved divisive, cause people will lose faith
pened when he compared Nations and surrounded had hoped that hosting in 2013. Since then, authori- in the judiciary and this will
prices under Mubarak and by Egypt’s triumphant na- the tournament as well as ties have rolled back free- take us back to pre-mod-
el-Ssisi,” said Gamal Eid, tional soccer team, which winning it might boost its doms won in the 2011 up- ern times.” q

Libya official: Car bombs explode near LNA leaders, 4 killed

RAMI MUSA been split between rival been displaced. Shortly af-
NOHA ELHENNAWY governments in the east ter the explosions Thursday,
Associated Press and the west and an array Hifter ordered an investiga-
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — At of militias fighting over pow- tion into the attack.
least two bomb-laden ve- er and oil fields. The LNA, According to El-Kharraz,
hicles exploded Thursday loyal to the rival govern- the east-based govern-
near a group of Libyan Na- ment in the east, launched ment recently arrested a
tional Army leaders in their an offensive on Tripoli in group of collaborators in-
eastern stronghold of Beng- April, setting off fierce fight- side Benghazi who were in
hazi, killing four people and ing that has threatened to touch with Tripoli-based mi-
wounding 33 others and plunge the country into an- litias. During interrogation,
casting doubt on the LNA’s other bout of violence on they confessed that there
3-month-old offensive on In this June 15, 2019, file photo, a vehicle and structure is the scale of the 2011 con- were other cells of collabo-
Tripoli, the U.N.-backed damaged from fighting in the region of Tajoura, east of the flict that ousted longtime rators inside the LNA strong-
government’s capital. Libyan capital Tripoli. dictator Gadhafi and led hold.
The spokesman for the Associated Press to his death. Col. Khalifa Alobiedi, a mili-
Benghazi-based rival gov- military general. LNA spokesman Ahmed The LNA offensive on Tripoli tary engineer and expert
ernment’s Interior Ministry, El-Kharraz said the dead al-Mesmari said later there led by Field Marshall Khali- on explosive devices pres-
Tarek El-Kharraz, said sev- in the attack included two were three explosions and fa Hifter has been widely ent at the bomb site, said
eral senior LNA figures, in- civilians and two soldiers, accused the U.N.-support- criticized by the U.N. and initial findings suggested
cluding the commander and the wounded includ- ed government of financ- aid agencies. Over 1,000 the attack was caused
of LNA special forces, had ed civilians, army personnel ing the attackers, but pro- people have been killed in by two bomb-laden cars.
gathered in western Beng- and police. He said none vided no evidence. the violence, most of them He pointed to two burnt
hazi to attend the funeral of the military leaders was Since Moammar Gadhafi’s combatants but also civil- vehicles about 10 meters
service of a high-ranking killed or wounded. ouster in 2011, Libya has ians, and thousands have (yards) apart.q