UN condemns Egypt crackdown on activists

The UN yesterday condemned Egypt over the recent arrests of prominent activists and demanded that Cairo probe allegations that they were tortured by the security services while in custody. Several activists who played key roles in the 2011 revolution have been arrested in recent weeks, including blogger and journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah and Alaa Abdel Fattah, an iconic figure in Egypt. Esraa Abdel Fattah has been accused by Egyptian authorities of collaborating with a terrorist organisation.