Archive for freedom of expression

Law in the works for National Media Council to oversee state, private channels

by admin
January 1st, 2013

Ismail al-Sheshtawy, head of the Radio and Television Union, said a draft law is being prepared for the formation of the National Media Council, which would replace the Information Ministry and oversee both official and private media.

"We are working to form a strong council that will be able to govern the media and have a mechanism to apply its laws on media personnel,"' Sheshtawy said.

Article 215 of the new constitution establishes the National Media Council, the responsibilities of which include the preservation of “societal principles and constructive values,” besides its mandate to ensure the freedom of the media. The elusiveness of notions of values and principles have raised concerns about how they may possibly act as limitations to freedom of expression.

"One of the most important features of the project is that it [ensures] media freedom and the freedom of circulating information, regulated by law, as well as the amendment of the satellite broadcasting law, and the establishment of a syndicate for media personnel," he added.

The draft law will be submitted to the House of Representatives after it is elected, and then will be presented to media personnel.

Sheshtawy said impending changes in the administration of the state television building, Maspero will be announced next week.

"Changes will include a number of leading members in Maspero, in addition to the appointment of others in the currently vacant positions of head of the television sector and head of the specialized channels, who recently resigned," he said.

A total of 175 positions are expected to be included in the Maspero reshuffle at both the administrative and media levels.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

 

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Rights organizations: Ruling against Saber is sign of religious dictatorship

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December 13th, 2012

Prominent human rights organizations described the ruling passed on Wednesday against activist and blogger Alber Saber as a message to all opponents of what they termed “the new religious dictatorship” that differences will not be tolerated.

Marg Misdemeanor Court found Saber guilty of “contempt of religion” after he allegedly posted online parts of the amateur film “Innocence of Muslims” that had sparked protests around the Muslim world. He was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of contempt of religion.

Prosecutors also accused Saber of running a Facebook page that “promoted extremist ideas” and atheism, as well as insulting the divine, prophets and Islamic and Christian religious rites and describing God as weak.

The nine organizations, which include the Hisham Mubarak Law Center, the Cairo Center for Human Rights Studies and El Nadim Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, issued a joint statement Thursday that held all state bodies responsible for any harm caused to Saber and his family due to incitement against them. They expressed their "deep shock" at the ruling.

In the statement, the organizations called for the rescinding of all criminalization of criticism of religion, be they in legislation or the draft constitution, saying that "freedom of expression is a basic human right stated in all constitutions, charters and international conventions." A person should not be imprisoned merely for stating an opinion that runs contrary to society's mainstream beliefs, the statement said.

The nine signatories said the ruling against Saber “is a message to all opponents of the new religious dictatorship taking shape in Egypt” that opposing views will become punishable crimes.

The ruling will spark a series of violations of freedom of expression, the statement said, adding that it was representative of the state's hostility towards minorities.

They also said that the issuing of such a harsh ruling against a Coptic citizen for the sole reason that he expressed a view on his personal Facebook account “considerably undermines justice and constitutes a serious abuse of authority against religious minorities.”

The new constitution restricts freedom of belief to divine religions and considers objections to religious views acts of apostasy and sedition, the statement said.

The statement refers to investigations showing that since his arrest, Saber was beaten on the incitement of a policeman. His mother allegedly received death threats and was warned that her house would be burned down if she did not move out.

Although Saber's lawyers paid the bail for his release pending the issuing of a ruling on the appeal, the defendant was still sent to prison.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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UN: Egypt must protect peaceful protesters

by admin
December 6th, 2012

Egypt's government must protect peaceful protesters and prosecute anyone inciting violence, including government members, UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay said on Thursday.

"People have the right to protest peacefully and they have the right not to be killed or injured for doing so. The current government came to power on the back of similar protests and so should be particularly sensitive to the need to protect protesters' rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," Pillay said.

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Presidency files report against TV presenter, satellite channel

by admin
December 3rd, 2012

The president’s office filed a report against talk show host Mahmoud Saad and psychiatrist Manal Omar for insulting President Mohamed Morsy.

On 23 November, Omar came on Saad’s show to give a psychological analysis of Morsy following the announcement of the 22 November Constitutional Declaration. She described Morsy as a psychopath and called on him to resign.

In a press conference on Monday, presidential spokesperson Yasser Ali said this was a case of defamation, and the presidency has the right to sue anyone who is violating the law.

Ali added that he had noted 130 pieces of false news published in local media over the past 10 days.

Asked about the newspaper strike planned for Tuesday, Ali said that the president’s office hopes it doesn’t take place, but, “If it’s a form of expression, then we will welcome it.” Freedom of expression in Egypt has become limitless, he added.

The president’s office does not intervene in the work of the media, Ali said. “We respect all Egyptian media professionals and their roles as the conscience of the nation.”

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Interior Ministry warns against break-ins on Mohamed Mahmoud anniversary

by admin
November 19th, 2012

The Interior Ministry warned against what it claimed were calls to break into government buildings Monday, when activists plan to memorialize last year's clashes on Mohamed Mahmoud Street.

So far there have been no calls to enter government buildings, but peaceful marches from Cairo University to Tahrir Square have been planned.

The ministry’s media spokesperson said the Interior Ministry has reassured protesters many times that it firmly believes in peaceful and legitimate freedom of expression, without attacking the freedom of others, their interests or public facilities.

He added that the ministry took all necessary measures to protect its premises in accordance with the provisions of the law and that police were trying to ensure safety and security for all citizens, while urging protesters not to heed the alleged calls to break into government buildings.
 

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Interior Ministry warns against break-ins on Mohamed Mahmoud anniversary

by admin
November 19th, 2012

The Interior Ministry warned against what it claimed were calls to break into government buildings Monday, when activists plan to memorialize last year's clashes on Mohamed Mahmoud Street.

So far there have been no calls to enter government buildings, but peaceful marches from Cairo University to Tahrir Square have been planned.

The ministry’s media spokesperson said the Interior Ministry has reassured protesters many times that it firmly believes in peaceful and legitimate freedom of expression, without attacking the freedom of others, their interests or public facilities.

He added that the ministry took all necessary measures to protect its premises in accordance with the provisions of the law and that police were trying to ensure safety and security for all citizens, while urging protesters not to heed the alleged calls to break into government buildings.
 

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Censors demand script change for play critical of ruling regime

by admin
November 5th, 2012

The Censorship Authority has demanded changes to the script of “Ashan Khater Torabek” (“For Your Sake, My Country”), a new play by director Mohamed al-Sharqawy.

Sharqawy told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the new performance was slated for a debut last Thursday, but censorship officials refused to license it after viewing it Wednesday, one day before the opening show.

The director said the censorship panel set three conditions to license the show: It should avoid criticism of the ruling regime, not feature a bearded character, and remove the name “Qandil” from the script.

Sharqawy explained that some scenes contain satirical references to Prime Minister Hesham Qandil, including his African tour to resolve Nile water issues.

Several observers and artists had voiced concerns over the future of the freedom of expression under the country’s Islamist, post-revolutionary regime. A number of artists have been lambasted by Islamist figures and sued for producing work deemed to be against Islamic teachings.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Rights group condemns detention of Copt over video

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September 16th, 2012

A group defending freedom of expression condemning the detention of a Coptic citizen pending investigation into a video clip he allegedly made criticizing religion.

“Albert Ayyad was arrested last Thursday evening, when crowds of citizens gathered in front of his house in the Marg neighborhood in Eastern Cairo,” the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression said in a statement. “The masses were chanting and repeating provocative slogans inciting his murder, after claiming that he had defamed religion through his personal social network accounts.”

The group quoted Ayyad’s mother as saying she had called the police for protection from people gathering outside her house, but when officers arrived they arrested her son and confiscated his computer instead.

“At the police station, an officer incited a number of prisoners to attack Ayyad. Eventually, someone assaulted him, wounding him in the neck with a sharp blade. It was proven during the investigation [that the attack was incited] by the public prosecution,” the organization added.

The group claimed a number of angry citizens forced Ayyad’s mother to leave her home Friday morning after threatening to kill her and burn down her house.

“The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression believes that expressing one’s opinions, even if they are shocking and unfamiliar to the majority of the society, should never lead to [one’s] imprisonment or to their family’s displacement, as is the case with Ayyad’s family,” the statement said.

“The association emphasizes the danger of ignoring the incitement to violence practiced by a number of religious TV channels against Copts, after the uproar over the American film that criticizes Islam,” it added.

The association concluded with a call to repeal penal provisions that criminalize criticism of religion.

Ayyad’s case comes amid a wave of popular fury in several Islamic countries sparked by a movie produced in the US which mocks the Prophet Mohamed. 

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Nour Party spokesperson rejects Al-Azhar sheikh’s violent edict

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August 16th, 2012

The spokesperson for the Salafi-led Nour Party rejected a fatwa issued by a member of Al-Azhar's religious edicts committee urging violent confrontations at the planned 24 August protests against Muslim Brotherhood rule.

"Freedom of expression is preserved for all as long as it is in a peaceful way," spokesperson Nader Bakkar said on Twitter.

"The fatwa shocked everybody," Bakkar said, adding that Al-Azhar should issue a statement rejecting it.

"The Interior Ministry should take seriously the threats issued by certain parties who want to drag the country into chaos and tend to use violence," Bakkar wrote.

"You are absolutely free to disagree with the president and oppose his policies as long as you abide by peaceful [protests], do not disrupt civilian life, and do not damage public or private facilities," Bakkar added.
 
Sheikh Hashem Islam of Al-Azhar's Fatwas Committee on Tuesday accused those intending to take part in the planned protests of committing “major treason," arguing that since President Mohamed Morsy was elected through fair direct elections no such demonstrations should take place.

“Resist them," Islam told a seminar at Cairo's Diplomats Club. "If they fight you, fight back. If they kill you, you are in paradise. If you kill them, there is no blood money [owed]."

Former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi also weighed in on the planned protests on Tuesday, saying that while he supports the demonstrations, he is against the use of violence.

"I will protect the headquarters of the Freedom and Justice Party if it is exposed to arson, and I defend the rights of all Egyptians," he said.

At an iftar ceremony Tuesday in Abdel Razek Abu Farag village, in Kafr al-Sheikh Governorate, Sabbahi expressed his sorrow over the death of 16 Egyptian soldiers at the Egypt-Israel border.

Sabbahi said he respected President Morsy's decrees forcing the leaders of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces from power. However, he demanded that Morsy does not establish a "Brotherhood state," something he said is no less dangerous than the military rule and threatens the state of modern democracy for which the revolutionaries have fought.

Combined and edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Presidential office to sue media outlets for defaming Morsy

by admin
July 31st, 2012

The office of President Mohamed Morsy has filed two lawsuits against two state media outlets on charges of defaming the president and spreading false news, said presidential spokesperson Yasser Ali on Tuesday.

Ali did not reveal the names of the media outlets, reported state-run newspaper Al-Ahram.

"We embrace freedom of expression, but we have to be meticulous about the information we publish," Ali said, adding that President Morsy advocates for the freedom of the media. However, spreading news without evidence or facts causes a state of confusion in Egypt, he continued.

Muslim Brotherhood lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud recently filed a similar lawsuit with the public prosecutor on behalf of Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, claiming that state TV and the state-owned Rose al-Youssef newspaper had spread false news about the Brotherhood.

Named in the lawsuit were the information minister, the head of state radio and TV, the head of the news sector of the state TV, board chairman of Rose al-Youssef newspaper Mohamed Gamal Eddin, chief editor  Ibrahim Khalil, and editor Ahmed Atta.

The report demanded that these individuals be brought before the criminal court for falsely publishing on 30 July that the Muslim Brotherhood had financed Hamas to buy and smuggle weapons from Egypt into Palestine, and that the Brotherhood was to blame for protests intended to shield the smuggling operations.

The lawsuit claimed that the accused parties have also committed many crimes punishable by the law, making this a case that goes beyond the question of freedom of expression.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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