The military detained Alaa Abd El Fattah on Sunday, a high-profile blogger whose arrest by Mubarak’s security forces in 2006 led one of the biggest campaign to release him in Mubarak’s era.
Abd El Fattah refused to be questioned by military prosecutors over “inciting violence and sabotage” in connection with deadly clashes between the army and protesters on October9, when more than 25 people were killed.
The blogger said the army had no legitimacy to even interrogate him and said he would only speak to a civilian official, prompting his detention pending investigations.
“Field Marshal, the revolution is coming,” one protester cried over loudspeakers, referring to Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the head of the army council now ruling Egypt.
About 3,000 protesters marched in solidarity with the blogger, calling on the military council to step down.
More than 25 people were killed in clashes that erupted during a demonstration by Christians on October 9, an incident now commonly known as the “Maspero” events.
Protesters said military police used excessive force, firing live ammunition and driving armed vehicles into the crowds. The army defended their actions during the protest and blamed “foreign elements” and other agitators for the violence.
A military prosecution source said they had received footage of Abd El Fattah in possession of weapons they say he confiscated from officers at the scene. Supporters of the blogger doubt the credibility of any such evidence.