via Facebook
Egyptian police have arrested members of a satirical group for mocking Abdel Fatah el-Sisi, the country's president, in their video clips on Facebook.
Authorities searched the homes of all six members of the group on Sunday, and arrested the youngest member of the group first. Despite court orders to release him, state prosecutors appealed the decision and kept him in detention. On Monday, police went back and arrested four other members from a home in Cairo. All of them — they are between the ages of 19 and 21 — have been accused of "inciting anti-government protests" and "insulting state institutions."
The group Awlad el-Shawarea, which means "Street Children," gained a huge following online after the 2011 uprising, and are known for their raw selfie-style videos on their Facebook page, where they discuss social and political issues.
via Facebook
"These are silly charges and they should be released," Mohamed Othman, the lawyer representing the group, told BuzzFeed News. "But as you know, we live in a country where you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow."
In their latest video uploaded to their Facebook page last week, the group spoke about President Sisi, mimicking his words from one of his speeches. In the video, the group also said the newspapers should behave themselves and not give too much coverage to what Sisi says.
Another video posted last month, in which the group talked about Egypt's transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, has more than two million likes, and has been shared by more than 50,000 people.
"My mom told me don't take anything that doesn't belong to you," they say in the video, imitating a statement made by Sisi during a speech he gave to explain why he handed over the islands.
Online, Egyptians have expressed anger, and mocked authorities for arresting young children while the country faces bigger, more real problems.
The arrest of the young satirists comes amid a wave of other arrests of journalists and activists following the anti-government protests last month after President Sisi's decision to hand over two Rea Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.
via BuzzFeed - World http://ift.tt/1YjtENf
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