Russia is urging all sides in the current conflict in Egypt to immediately provide security for media representatives covering the ongoing disorder, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
A RIA Novosti cameraman in Cairo said on Thursday that police and supporters of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had started attacking photo and television reporters.
"We [Russia] believe that the oppression of media representatives...is unacceptable. We also urge an end to the violence and a start to the resolution of the crisis," the statement said.
According to the Reporters without Borders organization, 26 journalists in Egypt have been subjected to attacks, 19 were arrested or kidnapped, three are missing and one is in coma.
There are suggestions that the authorities have informally instructed their supporters to prevent any photo and video coverage of the ongoing events so the moment a person with a camera appears in the street, he is attacked. In the best-case scenario his camera is taken away but physical violence has become common.
Anti-government protests broke out in Egypt on January 25. The unrest has already claimed the lives of at least 300 people and injured several thousand across the North African state.
MOSCOW, February 4 (RIA Novosti)
