Al-Hosseiny Abou Deif

El-Fagr

December 12, 2012, in Cairo, Egypt

Abou Deif, reporter for the private weekly El-Fagr, died from injuries he sustained in a December 5 protest during which he was struck in the head by a rubber bullet fired at close range, according to news reports. Local journalists and news reports identified the assailant as a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Abou Deif was covering protests near the presidential palace at the time of the attack and had filmed Muslim Brotherhood supporters beating up protesters and using live ammunition, news reports said. Several thousand protesters demonstrated against a proposed constitution that local and international human rights and press freedom organizations believed would limit minority rights and free speech.

Abou Deif's camera was also seized in the attack. His injuries included severe brain damage which left him in a coma for a week, according to Mustafa Thabit, director of his new organization, El-Fagr.

Abou Deif's family held a press conference on December 9 at the Journalists Syndicate in Cairo to demand a criminal investigation and justice for his death, according to news reports.

Medium: Print, Internet

Job: Internet Reporter, Print Reporter

Beats Covered: Human Rights, Politics

Gender: Male

Local or Foreign: Local

Freelance: No

Type of Death: Dangerous Assignment

Suspected Source of Fire: Political Group

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