SARAJEVO, January 16 (FENA) - The Association of the Balkan News Agencies - Southeast Europe (ABNA-SE) on Thursday expressed its deep support to Anadolu Agency (AA) and its employees and has urged Egypt to free four Anadolu Agency employees detained in a raid on their office in Cairo.
“We consider the raid that happened in AA offices in Cairo by the Egyptian security forces deeply worrying and unjustified. Such a flagrant move harms directly the freedom of the press and the journalism community in general. ABNA-SE urges the immediate release of the journalists, currently kept without any information by the Egyptian authorities,” it is stated in a reaction of ABNA-SE signed by President Armela Krasniqi and Secretary-General Michalis Psilos.
ABNA-SE urges the Egyptian authorities to act according to the well-known and long-established rules and laws of the press.
The Association will continue to stand by its members.
“We will not tolerate any move that directly threatens our right to free speech and our democratic values,” it is said in the statement.
The Federal News Agency (FENA), as a full member of ABNA-SE, joins in the condemnation of Egyptian police action of breaking into the Anadolu Agency (AA) office in Cairo and apprehending four employees of this news agency.
(FENA) S. R.