Police forces raided the press syndicate in Cairo on Sunday, arresting “two journalists critical of the government,” Reuters reported. This is “an unprecedented crackdown,” a syndicate official said, with board member Khalid Al Balshy stressing that “the incident is true and at the very least the interior minister has to be fired and there needs to be an apology.” But an emailed statement from the Interior Ministry claims it “did not raid the syndicate or use any kind of force in arresting the two journalists, who handed themselves in as soon as they were told there was an arrest warrant.” The ministry added that it was only enforcing a prosecutor’s order as the two reporters from the leftist, pro-revolution January Portal were subject to an arrest warrant, according to Al Masry Al Youm. Prosecutors ordered the detention of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka for 15 days pending investigation into charges the two spread false news and plotted to undermine the constitution through their social media activism during the Sinai Liberation Day protests, according to Ahram Online. Warrants were issued for seven others allegedly linked to Badr and El-Sakka for a slew of charges including possession of explosives, firearms and Molotov cocktails, according to a statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office. The syndicate has called for the immediate sacking of the interior minister and a general assembly on Wednesday in protest, according to Ahram Online. Police continued to cordon off the area surrounding the press syndicate’s headquarters on Monday; the syndicate has formed a committee to organize new protests, Al Mal reports.

…The most concerned human being on the planet, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, had expressed (wait for it) concern over the arrests and storming on Sunday, Al Masry Al Youm reports.