Egyptian police detained four activists on Tuesday for putting up posters critical of the ruling military council, a step a human rights lawyer said was part of an effort to neutralize the protest movement. The military council, in power since the February ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, has drawn growing criticism for its management of the transition in the Arab world's most populous nation. On Tuesday, Egyptians were voting in the third phase of a parliamentary election that began in November. The four activists were members of the April 6 Youth Movement that helped mobilize the anti-Mubarak uprising. They were detained while hanging up posters comparing heroic images of soldiers after the 1973 war with Israel with pictures of troops beating women in Cairo during protests last month, according to Amr Ezz, an April 6 organizer. A source at the public prosecutor's office said the four were being questioned for putting up pictures defaming the military, but added that an order formally putting them under arrest had not been issued. Gamal Eid, head of a human rights group providing legal assistance to the four, accused the military of stepping up oppressive measures ahead of a 25 January demonstration that will mark the first anniversary of the uprising. "These are fast steps to neutralize the movements and activists which are supporting the revolution or who are calling for the continuation of the revolution starting from this coming 25 January," said Eid, whose organization is called the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. Eid said raids last week against 17 pro-democracy and human rights groups were part of the trend. Authorities said the raids arose from an investigation into foreign funding, and denied accusations that they aimed to smother some of the military council's most vocal opponents. Dissidents believe that while the military council says it wants to relinquish power, it aims to hold on to the influence and privileges it enjoyed under Mubarak's rule. The council has said it respects the right of Egyptians to freedom of speech or protest so long as they remain peaceful. It promises that the transitional period will lead to a democratic government.
