Google’s head of marketing for the Middle East and North Africa, Wael Ghonim, who has been missing in Egypt since the uprisings began, has been named the symbolic spokesperson for the opposition youth movement in Egypt.

Ghonim has been missing since January 25th. Many suspect that he’s being held by the government, although the government refuses to confirm nor deny this.

He last tweet before he went missing, "Pray for #Egypt. Very worried as it seems that government is planning a war crime tomorrow against people. We are all ready to die #Jan25.”

According to CBS, the "6th of April" opposition movement who are camped out at Cairo's Tahrir Square symbolically named Ghonim their spokesperson, in part to encourage his release. “If the government leaders "want to talk to us, talk to Ghonim," a senior member of the group told CBS yesterday morning.

According to Al-Jazeera television, Ghonim's family has been receiving "terrorizing" phone calls in the middle of the night. His brother, Hazem, said one call said that Ghonim is being “taught a lesson.”

Ironically, Ghonim was overseas to talk at the Al Jazeera Forum for Online Journalism & Freedom of Opinion.

Google told SFIst, “We are doing everything we can to locate Wael, but we are not going to comment on every conversation we're having.” They have set up a hotline though, so if you have any tips please call +44 20 7031 3008 or email infoaboutwael[at]google.com.

For Wael and his family, our thoughts are with you.

(by Justine Sharrock)