Rights activist beaten, held

CAIRO - AN EGYPTIAN human rights group said on Friday one of its researchers had been beaten and kidnapped by the security services.

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights said in a statement that its researcher Amr Salah had been 'kidnapped' at dawn on Thursday outside the front of his house by four men in civilian clothing who witnesses said appeared to belong to the security services.

Mr Salah was beaten, then forced into a jeep and driven away, witnesses told the human rights group.

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights said the security services did not respond to their queries about Mr Salah's detention.

He was able to call his mother on Friday evening and said he expected to be released shortly, but it was still unclear who was holding him, the rights group said. -- AFP


(2010-09-11/straitstimes.com)