The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has joined calls condemning the jailing of journalists in Egypt and urged wider union support for a symbolic protest to be held at the Egyptian Embassy, in Dublin today (June 26).
Congress General Secretary David Begg said: 'the jailing of the journalists is a clear attack on the right to freedom of expression and a very obvious attempt to impede the work of the press. The Executive Council of the ICTU has unanimously backed calls for the release of the journalists and for the verdicts to be overturned.
"It is sad to see the democratic impulse that drove the original 2011 "Egyptian Spring" being thwarted and twisted in this manner and I would urge union support for the NUJ organised protest in Dublin today," Mr Begg said.
The symbolic protest will take place today (June 26) at 3.45pm at the Embassy of Egypt, 12 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, during which an NUJ delegation will hand in a letter of protest to the Ambassador.