Excerpts from MENAFN:

Unlike ANHRI's figure of 60, the Press Syndicate's Freedoms Committee puts the figure at around 32. A research by the international Committee to Protect Journalists finds that there are 18 journalists in Egyptian jails.

For Eid, both groups' lower figures are based on a wrong approach to the question. "The discrepancies are for numerous reasons. Firstly, because the Press Syndicate has a problem with journalists who are not registered members of the syndicate. We also have names on our list that I do not think the syndicate or the CPJ know about yet."

Eid continued: "The CPJ and syndicate use a kind of a backwards logic. They say that the journalists need to prove they are journalists and that the charges are somehow related to publishing. We say it should not be like this, it is not appropriate because in the climate we are in the government is arresting and charging journalists on trumped-up, empty and unrelated charges. So therefore we treat them all as journalists."

Cornelis Hulsman: I am very wary of this logic that can be used to simply increase numbers which in turn is believed to help pressure the government. I have seen too many situations where numbers are used for political purposes.