BBC
12/30/2013
The Interior Ministry said the journalists had held illegal meetings with the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
The movement was declared a terrorist organisation last week. Brotherhood-backed President Mohammed Morsi was ousted by the army in July.
The military-backed interim government launched a crackdown on the movement following Mr Morsi's removal from power.
![]() |
CIA spies will now face Egyptian justice |
'Damaging'
The journalists, who work for Al-Jazeera English, are understood to have been detained late on Sunday night.
They are Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, who holds Canadian nationality, Peter Greste, an Australian, and an unnamed cameraman who is said to have been arrested at home.
The Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement that cameras, recordings and other material had been seized from rooms at a hotel in Cairo.
It accused the journalists of broadcasting news that were "damaging to national security".
![]() |
CIA Al Jazeera spy step Vaessen |
Several Islamist channels were closed down immediately after the military intervention in the summer. Journalists working for them were temporarily detained.
The latest arrests come after fresh deadly clashes between police and Muslim Brotherhood supporters across Egypt.
![]() |
Kerry attempting to free his CIA agents |
The Brotherhood was formally designated a terrorist group after a suicide bombing of a police headquarters in Nile Delta.
The government accused the movement of being behind the attack - a charge it strongly denied.
US Secretary of State John Kerry earlier called his Egyptian counterpart to express concern about the recent waves of arrests and called for an "inclusive political process".