Egypt frees human rights journalist after two days detention

CAIRO, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Egypt on Tuesday freed journalist and activist Hossam Bahgat after two days of detention and questioning over an article written about the Egyptian military last month.

The director of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a human rights group founded by Bahgat, confirmed his release to the BBC.

Bahgat, 37, was summoned Sunday by Egyptian military intelligence for questioning in connection with a series of investigative reports he wrote for Mada Masr, an online news site, specifically an article written last month concerning the trial of 26 military officers accused of planning a coup.

Since the military overthrew the government of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013, Egyptian authorities are believed to have jailed tens of thousands of people in a crackdown against dissenters.

Amnesty International says the Egyptian government utilizes "a draconian counter-terrorism law" that "criminalizes journalists who publish information that differs from the accounts of the Ministry of Defense."

AI reports Bahgat wrote the article in question "based on official documents, including the military prosecutor's indictment, and on interviews with the military officers' families."

It remains unclear whether Bahgat still faces charges.

His release comes less than two months after Egypt granted pardon to two Al Jazeera journalists sentenced to three years in prison for biased reporting. A third Al Jazeera journalist was deported from Egypt in February.

All three of the journalists denied the allegations.