CAIRO, November 30, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – "I was taken blindfolded by people in civilian clothes near a polling station in northern Cairo to an unknown place where I was insulted and beaten by two female thugs till I lost consciousness," an Egyptian journalist said, her voice breaking.

Asmaa Mohamed Ali, a journalist working for the Nasserite Al-Karama newspaper, was snatched by apparently hired thugs while covering the run-off of the bloody second round of the Egyptian parliamentary elections on November 26.

"I paid the price of covering the election runoff," she told IslamOnline.net Wednesday, November 30.

"My simple rights have been violated in my homeland. Who will bring back my rights?" desperate Ali questioned, while lying almost motionless on her sickbed.

Ali sustained bruises over much of her body, as well as fractured some of her ribs.

Thugs hired by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) and police have intimidated voters, judges and reporters alike in the November 26 run-offs, forcing the judiciary to cancel voting in some constituencies.

Last week, Egypt's Judges Union pressed for army protection to shield its members against attacks by thugs.

IOL has revealed that Egyptian security agents directed machete- and club-wielding gangs in attacks against voters and supporters of opposition candidates in the second round of voting.

Ali sustained bruises over much of her body, as well as fractured some of her ribs.

Gamal Fahmy, Al-Karama executive editor-in-chief, said police are used to turning a blind eye to assault on reporters, who cover the elections under the pretext of neutrality.

"The assault is part of a systematic plan to deter reporters by thugs and mercenaries," he told IOL.

"The assaults mainly aim to terrorize voters in general and reporters in particular, and force them to abstain from get the job done properly, laying the truth to rest."

Fahmy said the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists has reported the attack on Ali to the Attorney General.

The Egyptian police, however, have not raised a finger, Fahmy added.

"If police remained negative, we would seek international justice to halt assaults on our reporters and provide protection the Egyptian government failed to give," he said.

Many reporters have been assaulted during the Egyptian parliamentary elections, which kicked off on November 9.

On November 26, four journalists from Egypt's Akhbar El-Yom newspaper was assaulted during covering the election runoff in Qalubiya governorate.

Earlier, Al-Jazeera reporter Ahmad Mansour was attacked by a number of thugs right in front of the channel's office downtown Cairo.