PRESS TV

An Egyptian publisher has been arrested and copies of books supporting former International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei have been confiscated.

Egyptian police arrested Ahmed Mahanna, who runs the Dawin publishing house, after raiding his house on Saturday but have not charged him yet, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) said in a statement.

ANHRI Director Gamal Eid told AFP that Mahanna was being held in a state security prison. "He had published a book on ElBaradei more than a week ago," Eid said.

After he retired from the post of IAEA director last year, ElBaradei decided to challenge President Hosni Mubarak, 81, in next year's presidential election.

ElBaradei has said he would run for president if Egypt's Constitution were amended, a condition ruled out by Mubarak, who has ruled with an iron fist since 1981.