Egypt’s military council refuses to return Press TV equipment

Press TV (Iran) Sat May 19, 2012 5:15PM GMT
http://presstv.com/detail/2012/05/19/242053/scaf-not-returning-press-tv-equipment/

Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) still refuses to return
the equipment of a Press TV-affiliated media office that was attacked
recently by Cairo undercover police, Press TV reports.

The office was attacked by Egyptian undercover police in early May, just
over two weeks before the country’s forthcoming presidential election.

Witnesses say plainclothes officers have confiscated the office's cameras,
editing stations, and its satellite transmission device.

The device, that is technically called an SNG, was used by Press TV English
channel to cover Israel’s 2006 war in Gaza. The channel used the SNG to air
hundreds of hours of live footage of Israeli atrocities against the
Palestinians.

The Press TV team in Cairo is pursuing legal options against the undercover
police's attack.

For many Egyptians, undercover police are remnants of the Hosni Mubarak
regime. They are accused of having actively participated in Mubarak's deadly
crackdown on anti-regime protests last year.

More than 800 Egyptians were killed during last year's revolution that
toppled the pro-Western dictator.

The military council that took over after Mubarak’s fall has now launched a
media crackdown ahead of the May 23 presidential election.

The council is responsible for the undercover police actions, including the
killing of protesters and attacks on media offices.

Its agents have also attacked the offices of Iran’s Arabic-language
television, Al-Alam.

People are now calling for the military rulers that took Mubarak's place
following the revolution to hand over power to a civilian government.

SS/HGH/IS