Rebekah Brooks says it is ‘inconceivable’ she knew of Milly Dowler phone hacking
July 5, 2011 No Comment
News International chief executive determined to lead newspaper group despite calls for her to resign Rebekah Brooks has told employees it is “inconceivable” she knew that the News of the World hacked into Milly Dowler’s mobile phone . The News International chief executive said she was “sickened” by the events, but insisted she was “determined to lead the company” – despite calls for her to resign. Ed Miliband said Brooks should “consider her position” and has called for a public inquiry after the Guardian revealed the News of the World illegally accessed Dowler’s voicemail messages under Brooks’s editorship. David Cameron earlier described the hacking as a “truly dreadful act” and urged police to “pursue this in the most vigorous way”. Brooks, who was editing the paper at the time, emailed employees today to tell them: “It is inconceivable that I knew or worse, sanctioned these appalling allegations. I am aware of the speculation about my position. Therefore it is important you all know that as chief executive, I am determined to lead the company to ensure we do the right thing and resolve these serious issues.” Brooks said she has written to Milly Dowler’s parents on Tuesday morning “to assure them News International will vigorously pursue the truth and that they will be the first to be informed of the outcome of our investigation”. She added: “I am sickened that these events are alleged to have happened. Not just because I was editor of the News of the World at the time, but if the accusations are true, the devastating effect on Milly Dowler’s family is unforgivable”. Senior executives at News International discussed the Dowler revelations at a meeting with police this morning to talk about Scotland Yard’s ongoing investigation into phone hacking. News International said Rebekah Brooks was not present at the meeting. A senior source at the News of the World’s owner said it was a pre-arranged meeting with officers from Operation Weeting, the Met’s investigation into phone hacking that began at the start of the year. Brooks said in her email: “This morning, in our regular Operation Weeting meeting, we have offered the MPS our full co-operation to establish the veracity of these fresh allegations.” Miliband had earlier called for a public inquiry and said Brooks should “consider her conscience and consider her position”, as pressure mounts on the chief executive. Miliband said the latest revelations in the News of the World phone-hacking saga were a “stain” on news reporting in the country. He added that the hacking “represents one of the darkest days in British journalism”. Earlier Cameron, currently in Afghanistan, said of the Guardian’s revelation that the News of the World illegally targeted Milly Dowler and her family: “If they are true this is a truly dreadful act and a truly dreadful situation. What I’ve read in the papers is quite shocking, that someone could do this knowing that the police were trying to find this person and find out what happened. “There is a police investigation into hacking allegations … they should investigate this without any fear, without any favour, without any worry about where the evidence should lead them. “They should pursue this in the most vigorous way that they can in order to get to the truth of what happened. That is the absolute priority as a police investigation.” The home secretary, Theresa May, said news of the hacking was “truly shocking”, and said it “should be investigated with great vigour”. Keith Vaz told the BBC the home affairs select committee would ask May whether there is any evidence of hacking in the Soham murders or any other cases. The Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, whose force is accused of not investigating phone hacking properly in the first place, said on Tuesday: “My heart goes out to the Dowler family.” He told BBC London: “I have to be very careful to say nothing that could prejudice our live investigation but if it is proved to be true, then irrespective of the legality or illegality of it, I’m not sure there is anyone who wouldn’t be appalled and repulsed by such behaviour.” Former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott said on Twitter that he would write to the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, demanding he block News Corp’s bid to take full control of pay-TV company BSkyB following the revelations about Dowler. However, John Whittingdale, the chairman of the culture, media and sport select committee, told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme that phone hacking at the News of the World should not taint the rest of Rupert Murdoch’s empire. “You cannot necessarily condemn the entire of News Corp just because of the actions of some individuals in another part of the organisation,” he said. “News International is a part of News Corp but it’s a different part. News Corp is a global enterprise and I don’t think one should condemn the entire organisation because something very clearly was going wrong in the News of the World.” Detectives from Operation Weeting are believed to have found evidence of the targeting of the Dowlers in a collection of 11,000 pages of notes kept by Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator jailed for phone hacking on behalf of the News of the World. In the past four weeks, Met officers have approached Surrey police and taken formal statements from some of those involved in the original inquiry, who were concerned about how News of the World journalists intercepted – and deleted – the voicemail messages of Milly Dowler. The messages were deleted by journalists in the first few days after Milly’s disappearance to create space for more messages. As a result friends and relatives of Milly concluded wrongly she might still be alive. Police also feared evidence may have been destroyed. Milly Dowler Phone hacking News of the World Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers James Robinson Adam Gabbatt Sandra Laville Nick Davies Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk
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Bercow to spend time in Kabul as part of parliamentary exchange programme designed to help foster democracy in Afghanistan The Speaker, John Bercow, is to be dispatched to Kabul in a unique parliamentary exchange scheme to help impart his knowledge of managing the British House of Commons to his Afghan counterpart. British MPs and peers will also twin up with Afghan parliamentarians in a new scheme to help foster democracy in Afghanistan. Bercow and Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, speaker of the Afghan parliament, have been lined up for the parliamentary support programme exchange scheme agreed between the two countries. Asked if Bercow had been approached to participate in the exchange, a Downing Street spokesman said: “I am sure he is fully supportive of our efforts.” It comes a week after David Cameron was clearly irritated by twice being cut short by the Speaker at prime minister’s questions . The moves to increase inter-parliamentary co-operation come amid concern in the British government at recent efforts by the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, to overturn the results of 25% of Afghanistan’s parliamentary elections, which has further inflamed international concern about democratic progress in Afghanistan. Cameron raised the matter with Karzai in his bilateral meeting on Tuesday morning. Cameron had reminded journalists on Monday that his aspirations for Afghanistan were even more modest than previous prime ministers, telling a gathering of US and UK troops that they were not fighting to “create a perfect democracy” nor “create a perfect country” but to build up the Afghan troops so that they could take the reins themselves. Speaking in Kabul, Cameron said he had raised the issue of the relationship between the Afghan “executive and parliament”. In June, Karzai set up a special court, which overturned the results in a quarter of parliamentary seats from last year’s elections, effectively making null and void 62 MPs’ results. John Bercow Commons Speaker House of Commons David Cameron Afghanistan Hamid Karzai Allegra Stratton guardian.co.uk
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Single shipment most likely source of deadly epidemic in Germany, France and US, says food safety watchdog A single shipment of fenugreek seeds from Egypt is the most likely source of an E coli epidemic in Germany that has killed 49 people. It is also thought to be behind a smaller outbreak in France, European investigators said on Tuesday. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has urged the European commission to make “all efforts” to prevent any further consumer exposure to suspect seeds and advised consumers not to eat sprouts or sprouted seeds unless they are cooked thoroughly. More than 4,100 people in Europe and the US have been infected in two outbreaks of E coli infection – one centred in northern Germany; the other around the French city of Bordeaux. Almost all of those affected in the first outbreak – the deadliest on record – lived in Germany or had recently travelled there. The infection has killed 48 people in Germany and one person in Sweden. “The analysis of information from the French and German outbreaks leads to the conclusion that an imported lot of fenugreek seeds which was used to grow sprouts imported from Egypt by a German importer is the most common likely link,” the EFSA said. It added that “other lots of fenugreek imported from Egypt during the period 2009 to 2011 may be implicated” and said forward-tracing investigations should be carried out in all countries that might have received seeds from the lots concerned. The strain of E coli infections identified in the outbreaks – known as Stec O104:H4 – can cause serious diarrhoea and, in severe cases, kidney failure and death. E coli Egypt Health Middle East Africa Food safety Food & drink Germany Europe France United States guardian.co.uk
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Dutch court rules troops should not have allowed men to leave safe area or fall into the hands of Bosnian Serb forces Appeal court judges in the Netherlands have ruled that the Dutch state was responsible for the deaths of three Muslim men after the fall of Srebrenica during the Bosnian war, in a verdict that opens the door to compensation claims. Dutch troops were in charge of the UN-declared “safe area” in Srebrenica in July 1995 when Bosnian Serb forces overran the enclave and killed about 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys . Relatives of a local electrician who assisted the Dutch but was killed in Srebrenica, and the troops’ local interpreter, whose father and brother are also believed to have died, lodged legal action against the Dutch state seeking damages. In its ruling, the court said the Dutch state was responsible for the death of these men because the Dutch UN troops, known as Dutchbat, should not have allowed the men to leave the safe area or fall into the hands of the Bosnian Serb forces. “The Dutchbat had been witness to multiple incidents in which the Bosnian Serbs mistreated or killed male refugees outside the compound. The Dutch therefore knew that … the men were at great risk if they were to leave the compound,” the court said in its ruling. The Dutch government, which has faced several lawsuits in recent years over the massacre, has always insisted that its troops were abandoned by the UN, which provided them no air support. A case launched by the group Mothers of Srebrenica against the Dutch state is now before the Dutch supreme court, where lawyers are seeking a referral of the case to the European court of justice to also challenge the immunity of the UN. In its ruling on Tuesday, the appeal court said its decision only applied to the specific case of the three Muslim men and no ruling had been made over the situation of the other refugees in Srebrenica. However, the court said that Dutch troops were initially operating under UN orders and that an “exceptional situation” developed after the fall of Srebrenica. Since the Dutch government tried to intervene in the situation, it could be held responsible for the deaths of three men, the court said. The Srebrenica massacre remains a sensitive issue in the Netherlands , where the government fell in 2002 after a damning report by the Dutch Institute for War Documentation into the events surroundings the killings. Srebrenica massacre Netherlands Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbia United Nations guardian.co.uk
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Car bomb and second device injure at least 50 others at civic building packed with staff in Taji near Baghdad Two explosions at a civic building in the Iraqi town of Taji has killed at least 27 people and wounded a further 50 others, officials said. A car bomb and another explosive detonated in a crowded car park of the building in Taji, about 12 miles north of Baghdad, security sources told Reuters. “It was a double explosion. The first was caused by a car bomb. We have no idea what the second was, whether a suicide bomber or a roadside bomb,” said Raad al-Tamimi, the head of the Taji municipality. “The place was crowded with people who were going to process official papers and with police and employees,” he said. The deputy health minister, Khamis al-Saad, said the blasts killed 27 people and wounded 50. An interior ministry source put the initial toll at 35 dead and 28 wounded. The bombings followed a series of attacks that targeted Iraqi security forces over the last two days, killing at least 10 police and soldiers and wounding 22 others. Iraq Middle East Global terrorism guardian.co.uk
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Judges will decide if Sun and Mirror were in contempt of court over articles published after Christopher Jefferies’ arrest Contempt proceedings against the Sun and Daily Mirror over their coverage of the hunt for the killer of Joanna Yeates begin on Tuesday in the high court. Three high court judges including Lord Judge, the lord chief justice, will decide whether articles published in the two papers following the arrest of a suspect by police investigating the killing of the landscape architect were in contempt of court, in a case that is scheduled to last two days in London. The attorney general, Dominic Grieve, will be presenting the government’s case himself, having been given the go-ahead to bring contempt proceedings by the high court in May . Yeates, who lived in Clifton, Bristol, disappeared on 17 December after going for Christmas drinks with colleagues. Her frozen body was found on a roadside verge in Failand, Somerset, on Christmas Day. At the hearing in May, lawyers outlined details from articles published following the death of Yeates in December and judges ruled there was an “arguable” case against the newspapers. Andrew Caldecott QC for the attorney general – the government’s chief legal adviser – told the court in May that there were concerns about the newspapers’ coverage following the arrest of Yeates’ landlord, Christopher Jefferies, on 30 December. Jefferies was subsequently released without charge and there was no suggestion “whatsoever” that he had any involvement in Yeates’ death, said Caldecott. But he added that the attorney general felt that articles published in the Daily Mirror on 31 December and the Sun on 1 January, would have posed a “substantial risk of serious prejudice” to any trial Jefferies might have faced. Caldecott said Grieve had warned the media about coverage “in the context of Christopher Jefferies’ arrest” in a BBC Radio 4 interview on 31 December . A 33-year-old engineer has admitted killing Miss Yeates. Dutchman Vincent Tabak has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder. Tabak, who lived next door to Yeates, is due to go on trial accused of murder at Bristol crown court in October. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”. • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook . National newspapers Newspapers & magazines Newspapers Joanna Yeates Contempt of court Media law Jason Deans guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Judges will decide if Sun and Mirror were in contempt of court over articles published after Christopher Jefferies’ arrest Contempt proceedings against the Sun and Daily Mirror over their coverage of the hunt for the killer of Joanna Yeates begin on Tuesday in the high court. Three high court judges including Lord Judge, the lord chief justice, will decide whether articles published in the two papers following the arrest of a suspect by police investigating the killing of the landscape architect were in contempt of court, in a case that is scheduled to last two days in London. The attorney general, Dominic Grieve, will be presenting the government’s case himself, having been given the go-ahead to bring contempt proceedings by the high court in May . Yeates, who lived in Clifton, Bristol, disappeared on 17 December after going for Christmas drinks with colleagues. Her frozen body was found on a roadside verge in Failand, Somerset, on Christmas Day. At the hearing in May, lawyers outlined details from articles published following the death of Yeates in December and judges ruled there was an “arguable” case against the newspapers. Andrew Caldecott QC for the attorney general – the government’s chief legal adviser – told the court in May that there were concerns about the newspapers’ coverage following the arrest of Yeates’ landlord, Christopher Jefferies, on 30 December. Jefferies was subsequently released without charge and there was no suggestion “whatsoever” that he had any involvement in Yeates’ death, said Caldecott. But he added that the attorney general felt that articles published in the Daily Mirror on 31 December and the Sun on 1 January, would have posed a “substantial risk of serious prejudice” to any trial Jefferies might have faced. Caldecott said Grieve had warned the media about coverage “in the context of Christopher Jefferies’ arrest” in a BBC Radio 4 interview on 31 December . A 33-year-old engineer has admitted killing Miss Yeates. Dutchman Vincent Tabak has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder. Tabak, who lived next door to Yeates, is due to go on trial accused of murder at Bristol crown court in October. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”. • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook . National newspapers Newspapers & magazines Newspapers Joanna Yeates Contempt of court Media law Jason Deans guardian.co.uk
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Prime minister expresses sadness about latest British casualty in Afghanistan, saying it shows the ‘high price’ being paid to stabilise the country The apparent capture and killing of a British soldier in Afghanistan showed the “high price” being paid to stabilise the country, David Cameron said on Tuesday, as he appealed to the Taliban to stop fighting. Speaking at a press conference alongside President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Cameron said: “This was very sad news and I want the thoughts and condolences of everyone on my team here to be with the family of that soldier who received this very sad news.” Karzai said: “I express my condolences on the very recent loss of a British soldier.” The prime minister insisted the campaign against the Taliban in Helmand province was having some “success” and transition to Afghan security control was “on track”. Cameron delivered his most direct appeal yet to Taliban elements to join the political process in Afghanistan. “It is very difficult to reconcile with people who have been killing your own soldiers or your own countrymen,” he said. “To the Taliban, the message is very clear: Stop killing, stop bombing, stop fighting, put down your weapons, join the political process and you can be part of the future of this country. “I have seen it in my own country, in Northern Ireland, where people who were involved in trying to kill, to maim and bomb civilians and police officers, army personnel and even politicians have actually become politicians themselves and are involved in the governance of that country. “It can happen and the message to the Taliban is: you cannot win this fight, you are losing this fight.” Cameron said the death of the soldier on Monday was “a reminder of the high price that we have paid for the vital work we do in Afghanistan and in Helmand province”. The body of the soldier, from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, was found on Monday night after a massive manhunt. His family has been informed. Taliban groups have claimed responsibility for killing the man, who had been reported missing from a military checkpoint in the early hours of the morning. Nato spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick said: “He had suffered gunshot wounds. His exact cause of death is still to be established and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death are currently under investigation.” The disappearance emerged as Cameron arrived at the Camp Bastion base in Helmand, and forced him to abandon a visit to nearby Lashkar Gah so resources could be deployed in the search. Cameron stressed that coalition forces were making progress and there seemed to be a reduction in the intensity of the summer fighting season this year. He said he would be announcing in the Commons on Wednesday a “modest reduction” in British troops for 2012, on top of the 450 already due to withdraw this year. He defended the 2014 deadline for UK forces ending their combat role. “I do believe it is the right time,” he said. “I have worked extremely closely with the military to get this right. Many things have to be got right to ensure that transition can be done properly. But I believe we are on track. It can be done.” Cameron and Karzai unveiled the creation of an Afghan national officer academy. The institution will be modelled on Britain’s Sandhurst and aim to produce high quality platoon leaders. It will open its doors in 2013, and accept 1,350 recruits annually, with 120 UK troops involved in the training. Cameron said it would provide the “Afghan army officers of the future”. Asked whether UK aid to Afghanistan would be rising as troop numbers fell, Cameron said: “This is a great example of a country that if we walk away from, and if we ignore, if we forget about, the problems will come visited back on our doorstep.” He said aid would help tackle problems such as terrorism at source. “Even to people who are hard-headed, and possibly even hard-hearted, about aid, I say the programme we have in Afghanistan …is good for people back home in Britain as well,” he said. He said aid to Afghanistan would increase as the UK moved towards its 0.7% GDP target for giving. UK aid to Afghanistan has increased from £102m last year to £178m this year, according to officials. During the two-day visit to Afghanistan, Cameron has also held talks with US general David Petraeus about the military campaign. Afghanistan Military Nato David Cameron Defence policy guardian.co.uk
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Prime minister expresses sadness about latest British casualty in Afghanistan, saying it shows the ‘high price’ being paid to stabilise the country The apparent capture and killing of a British soldier in Afghanistan showed the “high price” being paid to stabilise the country, David Cameron said on Tuesday, as he appealed to the Taliban to stop fighting. Speaking at a press conference alongside President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Cameron said: “This was very sad news and I want the thoughts and condolences of everyone on my team here to be with the family of that soldier who received this very sad news.” Karzai said: “I express my condolences on the very recent loss of a British soldier.” The prime minister insisted the campaign against the Taliban in Helmand province was having some “success” and transition to Afghan security control was “on track”. Cameron delivered his most direct appeal yet to Taliban elements to join the political process in Afghanistan. “It is very difficult to reconcile with people who have been killing your own soldiers or your own countrymen,” he said. “To the Taliban, the message is very clear: Stop killing, stop bombing, stop fighting, put down your weapons, join the political process and you can be part of the future of this country. “I have seen it in my own country, in Northern Ireland, where people who were involved in trying to kill, to maim and bomb civilians and police officers, army personnel and even politicians have actually become politicians themselves and are involved in the governance of that country. “It can happen and the message to the Taliban is: you cannot win this fight, you are losing this fight.” Cameron said the death of the soldier on Monday was “a reminder of the high price that we have paid for the vital work we do in Afghanistan and in Helmand province”. The body of the soldier, from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, was found on Monday night after a massive manhunt. His family has been informed. Taliban groups have claimed responsibility for killing the man, who had been reported missing from a military checkpoint in the early hours of the morning. Nato spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick said: “He had suffered gunshot wounds. His exact cause of death is still to be established and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death are currently under investigation.” The disappearance emerged as Cameron arrived at the Camp Bastion base in Helmand, and forced him to abandon a visit to nearby Lashkar Gah so resources could be deployed in the search. Cameron stressed that coalition forces were making progress and there seemed to be a reduction in the intensity of the summer fighting season this year. He said he would be announcing in the Commons on Wednesday a “modest reduction” in British troops for 2012, on top of the 450 already due to withdraw this year. He defended the 2014 deadline for UK forces ending their combat role. “I do believe it is the right time,” he said. “I have worked extremely closely with the military to get this right. Many things have to be got right to ensure that transition can be done properly. But I believe we are on track. It can be done.” Cameron and Karzai unveiled the creation of an Afghan national officer academy. The institution will be modelled on Britain’s Sandhurst and aim to produce high quality platoon leaders. It will open its doors in 2013, and accept 1,350 recruits annually, with 120 UK troops involved in the training. Cameron said it would provide the “Afghan army officers of the future”. Asked whether UK aid to Afghanistan would be rising as troop numbers fell, Cameron said: “This is a great example of a country that if we walk away from, and if we ignore, if we forget about, the problems will come visited back on our doorstep.” He said aid would help tackle problems such as terrorism at source. “Even to people who are hard-headed, and possibly even hard-hearted, about aid, I say the programme we have in Afghanistan …is good for people back home in Britain as well,” he said. He said aid to Afghanistan would increase as the UK moved towards its 0.7% GDP target for giving. UK aid to Afghanistan has increased from £102m last year to £178m this year, according to officials. During the two-day visit to Afghanistan, Cameron has also held talks with US general David Petraeus about the military campaign. Afghanistan Military Nato David Cameron Defence policy guardian.co.uk
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Riots in Cairo after seven police officers accused of killing protesters during uprising are freed Hundreds of Egyptians scuffled with security guards in a court in Cairo and blocked a major road for hours after a judge ordered the release of 10 police officers charged with killing protesters during the country’s uprising. Monday’s unrest added to tensions already running high in Egypt over the ruling military council’s failure to hold accountable security forces involved in killing protesters during the protests that toppled the former president, Hosni Mubarak. Nearly five months later, only one police officer has been convicted in the deaths of more than 846 people killed in a government crackdown on protesters. He was tried in absentia. During court proceedings on Monday, guards had to intervene to separate relatives of the victims and families of the defendants, even before the decision was read. In his initial statement, the judge seemed to suggest he would impose harsh sentences, saying that “the blood of those killed will not be spilled in vain”, according to the Egyptian news agency Mena. However, he then ordered the release of the defendants, sparking a riot. The victims’ families scuffled with the guards and tried to rush toward the defendants who were whisked out of court. A number of relatives of the protesters killed in the uprising tried to storm the judge’s office, but were blocked by soldiers. Egypt’s prosecutor-general, Mahmoud Abdel-Meguid, ordered the court’s decision overturned in an attempt to defuse anger. But a lawyer for the victims’ families said the move was “illegal” because the prosecutor general had no authority over the court. “They are trying to deceive the people to pacify them,” said Amin Ramez, a lawyer. “The policemen are now at army headquarters seeking protection. If people saw them, they would tear them apart.” Ali el-Ganadi, father of one of the victims, said he received a promise from the prosecutor-general to enforce the annulment of the court’s order and bring the officers back to jail. Relatives of those killed in the uprising blocked traffic for at least six hours on the road from Cairo to Suez, leaving hundreds of cars lined up. The court case involved protesters killed in Suez. Ramez spoke to Associated Press by phone from the Cairo-Suez road, about 60 miles outside of Cairo. He said truck drivers and Suez residents joined the protesters while the military tried to negotiate the blockade. A couple of hours after nightfall, El-Ganadi, the spokesman for Suez victims’ families, said the protesters were opening the road. After clearing the street, they moved to Suez, according to one protester, Ahmed Khafagi. He said traffic has been halted inside two main squares in the city and thousands of people are rallying and chanting slogans, including “Down with the military junta”. “People are boiling,” an activist, Ahmed Abdel Gawad, said. The policemen were charged with killing 17 people and injuring more than 350 in Suez during the 18-day uprising that ended with the ousting of Mubarak on 11 February. The court released seven of them on bail and postponed their trials until 14 September. Three are being tried in absentia. Suez was a flashpoint of violence during the uprising, with many deadly confrontations between tens of thousands of protesters and security forces. Footage posted on YouTube showed police officers in a police station in the main square opening fire on protesters. Ramez said the court over the past four sessions had rejected demands by families’ lawyers to add 41 other police officers to the case. “We provided them with footage and visual evidence that show those policemen holding guns and automatic weapons and hunting down the protesters as if they were hunting birds. But the judge didn’t summon them. The spark of the revolution came from Suez and the second revolution will also come out of Suez,” he said. The release of the officers has strengthened plans for a million-man rally on 8 July to push for fair trials of former regime members, including senior security personnel suspected of giving the order to shoot protesters during the uprising. Mahmoud Ibrahim, one of the youth groups that led the uprising, said Suez residents were planning to turn out in force for the July demonstration. In Cairo, a security official said anti-riot police fired teargas to disperse dozens of people around a police station in the centre of the city. The reason for the tensions there could not immediately be confirmed, he added. Suez is located at the northern tip of the Suez Canal, which links the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The waterway is a vital source of foreign currency. Egypt Arab and Middle East unrest Protest Middle East Africa guardian.co.uk
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