Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Google employee arrested in Egypt

Egyptian police have arrested during the protests against the regime, dozens of people. Wael Ghonim also was detained for nearly two weeks. Now, the Google manager has reported on television from his captivity. Hamburg - The Egyptian government, he was a "traitor to the nation," a hero for the opposition Movement: Twelve days was the police Wael Saeed Abbas Ghonim in prison after he had participated in the protests against the Mubarak regime.


Now the marketing director of the Internet company Google for the Middle East and North Africa is free again - and it is expressed for the first time in an interview on his captivity. Just hours after his release he spoke to the TV channel Dream TV. The Internet circulates a recording of the show with more or less accurate English subtitles.

Also, the TV station al-Jazeera has transcribed the interview excerpts. Between Ghonim and presenter Mona El Shazly unfolds a touching conversation. Ghonim seems tired, he says he has not slept for 48 hours. His head is bowed deeply to his chest, his eyes often look to the ground. Ghomin speaks quickly, almost breathless, sometimes he is close to tears, some anger flashing in his eyes.

Ghonim speaks about his arrest only in fragments. In between, he drifted off again, he repeatedly asserts how much he love his country. "This is the era in which people are labeled as a traitor with good intentions," he says. "I'm not a drug dealer or terrorist," He was on 28 January to 1 clock in the morning been arrested, he says.

Ghonim had gone along with a colleague the street. They had stopped a taxi. Suddenly, four people had surrounded him. He screamed loudly for help, then you have him blindfolded and dragged him. "It was kidnapping," said Ghonim. With the rule of law is nothing more to do. "You want to arrest me?" There are laws.

(...) I am not a drug dealer or terrorist. " It is not right that his seriously ill father did not know twelve days, where his son is. Ghonim says he was in his captivity, not being tortured or mistreated. His guards had treated him well, almost respectfully, he met many intelligent people.

However, he had suffered a lot. "I heard nothing," said Ghonim, "I knew nothing, had no idea what happened out there on the streets." He had been "kept in the dark," he said. He asked whether they had forgotten him, if anyone would demand his release. Ghonim had already started last year with protests against the Mubarak regime.

Together with other activists, he started a Facebook page in memory of the Egyptian Khalid Said, who was beaten in the port of Alexandria by the police to death. He does not regret his actions, he said, Dream TV. "I was proud of what I have done, and I was prepared to face the consequences." Everyone who came in the uprisings in Egypt died, "died as martyrs." Ghonim was finally released.

Already on the way back, he reported to the station Dream TV. Beside him in the car had been sitting Hossam Badrawi, the new Secretary General of the National Democratic Party. Ghonim and Dream TV presenter Mona El Shazly maintain an amicable relationship. After kidnapping Ghonims the network had tried in vain to make his whereabouts.

In her introductory moderation to the interview Shazly said that she had been informed by Ghonims best friend about the kidnapping. This claims to know the password for an address book of Ghonim. In this he had found the contact details of the sender. In his Twitter account Ghonim writes: "If you do not see anything for twelve days as a black scene, then you pray that those who are outside, remember you." He also expressed deep connection to his employer.

He thanked the company Google for its efforts. The Internet company had launched a major search operation for him and asked the public through a dedicated phone number for information about the whereabouts of the businessman. "Today I am happy to work for this company," Encyclopedia Ghonim.

Compared with Dream TV, he insists that Google knew about his political activities, nothing. "I tricked my employer so I can participate in the protests," said Ghonim. "I told them that I had to fix an urgent personal matter, and six days need a vacation." If everything was in order, Google asked.

"I said it was personal." Its future looks Ghonim pessimistic. It is quite possible that he would soon be kidnapped again.

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