Egypt's ruling military jailed a veteran dissident and blogger on Sunday on charges of inciting deadly clashes between soldiers and Christians this month, his sister and a fellow activist said.
Alaa Abdel Fatah, who was jailed for his activism under ousted president Hosni Mubarak's government in 2006, was remanded in custody for 15 days, said his sister Mona Seif, who is also a leading opponent of military trials. The prosecutor may choose to formally refer him to a military court or release him.
Abdel Fatah's detention came days after US President Barack Obama called on Egypt's military to lift a state of emergency and end military trials for civilians. Bahaa Saber, another activist who faces the same charges but was not detained, said he and Abdel Fatah were charged with inciting attacks against soldiers and participating in the October 9 clashes in Cairo.
Coptic Christians were protesting an attack on a church when clashes broke out with soldiers outside the state television's building. Twenty-five people died in the violence, most of them Copts.
Witnesses said soldiers fired upon protesters and ran them over with armoured cars, accusations the military has denied. The military said a number of its soldiers died in the clashes but refused to give a toll.