For many weeks now, journalist have all seemed to be following a pattern especially when it comes to conflict concerning Libya. As of April 11, 2011, the government of Muammar Quaddafi is “detaining two more television journalists”. The Committee to Protect Journalist reported this statement to others.
Problems are arising in Egypt as well. In Egypt there is a setback for “press freedom under the transitional government. Since this incident, a court has then sentenced an individual blogger to a prison term reaching three years for “insulting the military. In Libya two camera men by the names of Magdi Hilali and Mohamad al-Shuwayhadi were being held since April 6th. These two men worked for the privately owned Middle East Broadcasting (MBC). These two men were caught in the north-central city of Brega. Another journalist was also detained but was soon released. The driver for this MBC crew was detained at the same time but was soon separated from the group, and since then this individual’s whereabouts are unknown.
Ahmed Vall Ould Addin is a journalist who was also detained in Libya. Two other correspondents he was with remained in custody. Mohamed Abdel Dayem stated “We are relieved to hear that our colleague Ahmed Vall Ould Addin has been released and we urge the Libyan government to also release the two Al-Jazeera journalists who remain in custody,". It was also stated that "The total number of detained journalists in Libya keeps rising because the government is detaining new journalists faster than it is releasing those it holds."
Research shows that in Libya 17 journalist and media workers are in government custody or missing. A blogger by the name of Maikel Nabil Sanad was sentenced to three years in prison for “insulting the military” by an Egyptian military court in Cairo. Sanad’s defense lawyer stated that Sanad was arrested on March 28th due to an article which Sanad criticized the military for “not being transparent in decision-making”. Sanad was soon found guilty and has to do the time sentenced by the judge.
Things have gotten so out of control that Iraqi authorities soon started to make a mark. Iraqi authorities “prevented local and foreign journalists from accessing Ashraf, an Iranian refugee camp”. Journalists were covering stories concerning the conflict between Iraqi security forces and the camps residents.