One of the military's targets was the Hisham Mubarak Law Center for Human Rights, reports The Washington Post, where around 30 people were removed and taken to military intelligence headquarters.

Those who work at the centre have been providing legal advice to anti-government demonstrators, and recounted being detained for two nights and three days after soldiers and policemen stormed their office. After confiscating laptops and hard drives, the centre's lawyers and volunteers were rounded up and their hands tied with plastic bands.

They were then taken to the building's lobby and ordered to sit down, as crowds gathered to see what was going on. A policeman told the crowd that members of the centre had caused the deaths of policemen during the riots.

The detainees were then lined up and forced into two buses, before being taken to the military intelligence headquarters where one man, who had refused to give his name, was beaten. The rest were blindfolded.

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Interrogations followed, including questions about the centre's funding, its role in the protests, whether they had foreign supporters and when the demonstrators planned to stop.

After three days of questioning and two nights of being left outside, blindfolded, and hearing the cries of others being interrogated, they were released.

According to Human Rights Watch, at least 75 people have been detained since the sweeps began last Thursday.