Google marketing executive: “Protests were organized by me”

The Egyptian-born Google marketing executive Wael Ghonim first played a role in organising the opposition through Facebook, only to disappear into police custody for 12 days, BBC news reports.

Emerging again, he denied he had done anything heroic at all, instead paying tribute to the young activists who had been on the streets since 25 January.

But his return to the public eye - marked by an emotional TV interview on 7 February which gripped Egyptian viewers - re-energised the movement just as it seemed to be losing steam.

The 30-year-old executive says he was blindfolded for most of his time in custody, threatened with torture but not actually hurt.

Soon after being freed, he appeared live on one of Egypt's most watched talk shows, on the Dream 2 television channel, the source informs.

"This is the revolution of the youth of the internet, which became the revolution of the youth of Egypt, then the revolution of Egypt itself," he said.

"I'm not a hero, I slept for 12 days," he continued.

"The heroes, they're the ones who were in the street, who took part in the demonstrations, sacrificed their lives, were beaten, arrested and exposed to danger," quotes his words the BBC.

The mass disorders started in Egypt since 25th of January. Thousands of Egyptians that demanded the resignation of Mubarak had organized the protests through the internet, through Facebook and Twitter.