World Bulletin / News Desk 

The head of Egypt's Journalists' Syndicate on Sunday described the conditions of the press in his country as "gloomy."

"Despite the fact that the situation is dim, we will continue to say that the press would continue to defend its freedom," Yehia Qalash said during a ceremony organized by his union on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day.

Qalash took over the top spot at the independent union in March.

He said more and more people were put in jail every day in contravention of freedom of speech.

He expressed hopes that his country's current war against terrorism would not come at the expense of media and the journalists.

Three Egyptian journalists were put in jail on Sunday without a charge, according to Khaled al-Balshi, the head of the Freedoms Committee at the Journalists' Syndicate.

The Interior Ministry is yet to issue an official comment on the arrest of the three journalists.

The ministry says, however, that the arrest of journalists comes against criminal, not political, backgrounds.

There is not an official estimate of the number of journalists in Egyptian jails.