Speaking today about increasing restrictions placed upon journalists and the media in Egypt, Foreign Secretary William Hague said:

I am very concerned by restrictions on freedom of the press in Egypt, including reports of the recent charging of Al Jazeera journalists, two of whom are British, Sue Turton and Dominic Kane.

We have raised our concerns about these cases and freedom of expression at a senior level with the Egyptian government in recent days. I will discuss these concerns with other European Foreign Ministers at the European Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, and we will continue to monitor the situation of the journalists very closely, and raise them with the Egyptian authorities.

The UK believes a free and robust press is the bedrock of democracy. I urge the Egyptian interim government to demonstrate its commitment to an inclusive political process which allows for full freedom of expression and for journalists to operate without the fear of persecution.

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