Prominent journalist and human rights advocate Hossam Bahgat has been released today amid social media outburst, which generated more than 80,000 tweets in 48 hours putting an early end to his 4-day military detention.
The military prosecutor originally sent Bahgat to four days of detention on Sunday, pending further investigations on charges of spreading false information and disrupting national security. Bahgat wrote an investigative piece about a military trial of army officers plotting a potential coup in cooperation with members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Journalists, human rights activists, social media users and influencers demanded Bahgat’s immediate release and condemned sending a civilian and a journalist to military trial. His arrest also received heavy international media coverage, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also expressing his concern about his detention.
https://twitter.com/O_Elhady/status/663503302936633345
In solidarity with A professional+accurate investigative reporter+Rights defender #FreeHossam #متضامن_مع_حسام_بهجت pic.twitter.com/SYTacmPKhT
— Gameela Ismail (@GameelaIsmail) November 8, 2015
https://twitter.com/malekadly/status/663482024599101440
No military trials for civilians#nomiltrials #FreeHossam pic.twitter.com/Sr5e4wFGMr
— NoMilTrials (@NoMilTrials) November 10, 2015
BREAKING: Hossam Bahgat to be detained for four days pending investigations https://t.co/K6FpAUSYQE pic.twitter.com/fsz66SM47f
— Ahram Online (@ahramonline) November 9, 2015
With @HossamBahgat's arrest, Egypt suggests there is no space at all for critical speech. https://t.co/6dS9GZsEkw pic.twitter.com/N117D8pRXZ
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) November 10, 2015
We stand in solidarity with @HossamBahgat: https://t.co/dmfzxTJ04i #FreeHossam pic.twitter.com/JWEvCB8e5Z
— ICTJ (@theICTJ) November 9, 2015
https://twitter.com/hahellyer/status/663846367475953664
https://twitter.com/Hameess/status/663661669026017280
Key moment for Egypt: #FreeHossam or confirm to world that repression is here to stay https://t.co/SInRcPcJG9 pic.twitter.com/d1FQ1Co8GT
— Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) November 9, 2015
#متضامن_مع_حسام_بهجت يتصدر تويتر.. ومستخدمون: نشر حقائق فاعتقلوه ومن روجوا لجهاز الكفتة نسايب الحكومة https://t.co/sYBrSDDAJz via @sharethis
— khaledelbalshy (@khaledelbalshy) November 10, 2015
صباح الخير. حسام بهجت فين؟ #متضامن_مع_حسام_بهجت
— Heba Morayef (@hebamorayef) November 10, 2015
