Egyptian arrested over anti-Sisi images displayed on large screen on Faisal Street

A “screen technician” was arrested in Cairo on Tuesday after admitting to showing “offensive expressions on an advertising screen” according to a statement by Egypt’s Interior Ministry.

The AFP reported that the Interior Ministry claimed the man was operating under instructions from members of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group banned in Egypt.

The controversial images and messages targeting president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi were shown on an LED screen above a burger restaurant on Faisal Street in Cairo on Sunday night.

One image depicted Sisi with the text “You know I’m a thief or what?” mimicking an official campaign slogan where Sisi rhetorically asks, “You are the light of our eyes or what?”. Another image showed a doctored photo of Sisi in blood-stained army fatigues.

The images quickly spread on social media. In response, electricity was reportedly cut off in the area and security forces conducted thorough searches.

"Anybody carrying a mobile phone or a device connected to the internet, such as a tablet or a laptop, was subjected to random inspection and, in some cases, detention," a witness told The New Arab.

The New Arab also mentions unsubstantiated reports that Sudanese refugees were among those apprehended.

Faisal Street is known for its large Sudanese refugee community, which Amnesty International notes has faced threats and abuse from the Egyptian government.