The military coup that ousted President Mohammed Morsi seems to be indiscriminately attacking and detaining those critical of the military. Though there is some fear that Islamic militants could seek revenge for the coup, the military has been cracking down on Islamists in the "fight against terror," and in this vein, 2,000 have been arrested.

But how justified are these arrests? Labor lawyer Haithan Mohammadain was detained Thursday when passing a checkpoint in Suez, where a policeman accused him of being part of a secret organization. In fact, he is part of the well-known activist group Revolutionary Socialists which are critical of the military. Is it enough to be merely critical of this violent military force to be considered a prime target?

Mohammadain's lawyer, Maha Youssef, says no formal charge has been put, nor has he even been questioned.



Knowing the law is not enough to secure justice; being a lawyer and having a lawyer matter little when the state is basically a military state, with both sides seething for blood. This is so especially after the several days of violence that ended up killing over 1,000 people, mostly supporters of former Islamist President Mohammad Morsi.