Jurists, activists arrested in Egypt

Cairo – Egyptian authorities arrested at least 19 lawyers and human rights activists yesterday, Amnesty International said, condemning what it called an “appalling setback”.

The rights group called the arrests “an alarming escalation of a crackdown on human rights workers” in Egypt. “Today’s chilling wave of arrests... is yet another appalling setback for human rights in Egypt,” said Najia Bounaim, Amnesty’s North Africa campaigns head. –