monthly observation report freedom of media in …june 2017 the egyptian center for public policy...

Monthly Observation ReportFreedom of Media in Egypt

June 2017

Monthly observation report:“Freedom of Media in Egypt”June 2017

Prepared byMarianne Sedhom

Reviewed byAhmed Ragab

Cover designed byAbdulrahman Mohamed

The Egyptian Center For Public Policy Studies

All copyrights are reserved to their respective authors,it is permitted to use the data included after citingthe resources, any copyright infringement subjectsits perpetrator to legal claims

Issued by Individual Freedom ProgramJune 2017

www.ecpps.orgTel./Fax. : +202795881

21 Abd El-Mgeed El-Ramaly st, 7th floor,Flat 71, Falaki square,Downtown, Cairo, Egypt

Monthly Observation Report of Media Freedom in Egypt June 2017

1 The Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies-ECPPS

The Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies (ECPPS) is a non-governmental,

non-partisan, non-profit organization whose mission is to reform the legal and

economic system in Egypt in order to achieve the principles of free market,

minimum state, individual freedom and rule of law.



ECPPS presents monthly Observation report for press freedom in Egypt, in an

attempt to monitor the freedom and independence of media in Egypt through five

axes, including the legal, political and economic environments, the media

performance, and the role of civil society.

Practices of

media

Economic

sphere

Legal sphere

Role of

Civil society

Political

sphere



Contents

Introduction

The Legal Environment

The Political Environment

The Economic Environment

The Media Performance

The Role of Civil Society



Introduction

This report monitors the legal developments related to the media, press and free

exchange of information, as well as the verdicts issued against media professionals.

It also focuses on the political environment impacting journalists, either directly or

indirectly, through media censorship, prevention and confiscation of media outlets,

and other methods. The report further follows the economic environment, and how

far the media provides a professional and balanced coverage of events, and how far

it provides a platform of expression for all points of view, particularly opposition.

Finally, it presents an overview of civil society efforts in advocating press and media

freedom, and the free exchange of information, through issuing reports, holding

conferences and other activities that took place in June.



• Legal Environment

MP Kamal Amer, head of the defense and national security committee in the parliament,

presented in May a draft law to toughen penalties on charges of insulting the country's

president, parliament and state officials. He called for allowing detention under remand and

imposing EGP 100,000 fine in the cases of insulting state bodies.

The remand was cancelled in 2012 in the publishing crimes, while detention penalty was

abolished in the charge of insulting the president in 2013, but the fining is still operative in

both charges.

These articles represent legislative obstacles in the face of the freedom of media, violating

the international standards in this field. We look forward to the abolition of detention in the

charges for defamation and publication in general. We aim that those charged in such crimes

be tried only by a civil law rather than a criminal law. The law should also define clear

standards to measure how far the plaintiff was affected by such crimes.

People in public office are supposed to accept more criticism than ordinary citizens. The

state institutions should never be protected from criticism, because institutions cannot be

insulted, actually the insult only matters for individuals.

Representatives of a number of blocked Egyptian websites filed a unified complaint to the

prosecutor general and appointed a unified group of defense lawyers.to represent them in

the case. The announcement was made during a press conference held on Wednesday,

March 31 at the Syndicate of Journalists' headquarters. The conference witnessed the

participation of a number of the syndicate's board members and MPs, who offered to

present official memos about the block to Parliament. It comes after a meeting held at the

syndicate to discuss the possible steps to end the blocking of websites.

An unidentified executive authority has blocked a number of websites on Wednesday, May

24, on allegation of supporting terrorism. The blocked websites included Mada Masr, Al-

Mesryoon, Masr Al-Arabiya, Al-Borsa, Daily News Egypt, Cairo Portal, and others.

Investigations and verdicts

The State Security Prosecution opened an investigation in the complaint submitted by the

Head of the Supreme Media Regulatory Council, Makram Mohammed Ahmed, against Al-

Maqal newspaper. The complainer claimed that Al-Maqal had published articles that "stir

turmoil" and notified the Syndicate of Journalists to take necessary actions. Ten journalists,

including Ibrahim Issa and Hanan Fikri, the former candidate for the Syndicate of Journalists'

board, were questioned by the syndicate.

The Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that Article 52 of Law No 96 of Year 1996,

concerning the regulation and organization of journalism and press functions, is

unconstitutional. The article required establishing a joint stock company to obtain a license

for publishing a newspaper.



The court affirmed that the appealed article violates the freedom of press and contravened

Article 70 of the 2014 Constitution "Newspapers may be issued once notification is given as

regulated by law. The law shall regulate ownership and establishment procedures for visual

and radio broadcast stations in addition to online newspapers."

On the other hand, the court dismissed the case filed by the Public Prosecution regarding

the unconstitutionality of the first paragraph of Article 178 bis of the Penal Code on

publishing crimes. It stipulates that the chief Editors and the Publishers shall be considered

responsible as principal perpetrators, upon publishing.

The verdict upheld the article that holds the chief Editors and the Publishers liable for

publishing crimes against public morals.

The Zoom News' photographer Amr Adel was released from detention after the court

accepted his appeal against the one-year imprisonment sentence, and changed the sentence

to two months in prison.

Adel had already spent nine months in prison, so he was released after a few hours of

accepting the appeal.

The security forces had arrested Adel at the Ezbet Al-Nakhl metro station on Friday evening,

August 26, 2016. He was accused of joining a banned group, demonstrating without permit,

and possessing Molotov-cocktail, in the case No. 8410 for year 2016.

On the other hand, another journalist from Tahya Misr website was released among the list

of detainees who were pardoned by the President on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.

The prosecution released the Chief Editor of Al-Gomhuria newspaper after he was

summoned on charge of publishing an article insulting the public prosecution and judiciary.

The article, entitled "Abu Trika is not a terrorist", was written by Tarek Al-Adour, head of the

sport department in the newspaper, who was also summoned by the prosecution.

Al-Adour was accused of insulting the judiciary and prosecution, and influencing the

investigative bodies. Both journalists denied insulting the judiciary or prosecution, stressing

that the article focused on Abu Trika's football history.

The Cairo Appeals Court released TV presenter and journalist Wael Al-Ibrashi on bail of EGP

5,000, on charges of influencing the investigation process in the murder of the young

conscript Mo'men Saad Agha by judge Hossam Shoukri in Nasr City. Al-Ibrashi had hosted

the family of the victim who was shot by the judge during a quarrel between them.

The TV presenter Mohamed Al-Ghaiti was also released on bail of EGP 5,000 on charges of

influencing the investigation process in the same case. Al-Ghaiti tackled the case in his

program using phrases that were considered as a crime in accordance with Article 187 of the

Penal Code, according to the prosecution.



• Political Environment

Amid the lack and difficulty of obtaining and exchanging information, and punishing

publishers, the former military spokesperson Mohamed Samir wrote an article, entitled "Not

everything should be announced" that was published in Youm7 newspaper. Samir said that

the state is never required under any circumstances to release all its information or future

plans in the strategic issues related to national security "under the pretext of transparency".

Prevention of media coverage, and verbal and physical attack on journalists

Prevention of coverage:

The Egyptian Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal ordered journalists to leave the council during

a quarrel erupted among the members of parliament over Tiran and Sanafir islands issue.

Abdel Aal retreated his decision after pressure from MPs and journalists.

The Supreme Council of Culture prohibited the broadcast of voting process on the State

Encouragement Awards, upon the instructions of the Minister of Culture, Helmy Al-Namnm.

The minister explained that the ban came in accordance with the law. He revealed that one

of the candidates demanded not to publish his result because he received no votes in the

election. Al-Namnm added that the law provided the secrecy of voting; however the

broadcasting of voting guarantees transparency of the process.

The security deployed at the Abdeen Court prevented journalists from entering the court to

cover the prosecution's investigations with the journalists opposing the border demarcation

agreement. Those journalists had been arrested in the vicinity of the Syndicate of

Journalists.

On the other hand, the security forces prevented photographers from covering the trial of

former tourism minister Zuhair Garrana.

The preventing media coverage was repeated in several cases without clarifying any reasons

or rules of banning coverage. The authorities have not even defined the legal ways to appeal

the ban that deprives society from its right to knowledge.

For example, a journalist from Al-Bawaba newspaper was prevented from covering a

Ramadan activity at the Sawy Culture Wheel; a number of journalists were prevented from

covering the general high school exams in Sinai, and preventing journalists from covering the

Minister of Culture's visit to Faisal Book Fair.

A court also prevents journalists from covering the trial of human rights lawyer Khalid Ali,

who was accused of committing a “shameless and disgraceful act.”on a public road.



Verbal and physical attacks on journalists:

The security forces attacked journalists and arrested dozens of them during a demonstration

held in front of the Syndicate of Journalists' headquarters protesting the Parliament's

discussion of the border demarcation agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The

agreement recognizes the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia on Tiran and Sanafir islands.

Head of the syndicate, Abdel Mohsen Salama, said that he will not allow anymore sit-ins in

the syndicate, stressing it is not a place for practicing politics.

The Homeland Security deleted the data of a reporter's mobile phone as she was covering

the aftermath of the terrorist attack that killed dozens of Christians on their way to a

monastery in Minya.

The families of victims assaulted Daily News Egypt's reporter because they thought she

worked for Al-Jazeera, that incited against them. The reporter had no papers to prove its

affiliation to Daily News Egypt. A journalist from Veto website, and a photographer and

journalist from Al-Watan newspaper were also assaulted during their coverage of the

terrorist incident.

Content Censorship

The Supreme Council for Media released a report assessing talk shows, advertisements and

TV series. The report said that the assessed content contained Sexual suggestiveness,

promoted unacceptable behavior, presented inaccurate historical incidents, and abused

some professions.

The council imposed fines of EGP 200,000 on each satellite channel and EGP 100,000 on

radio stations that broadcast those violations.

Moreover, the council threatened to withdraw the broadcast license of any channel that

does not commit to the decision within six months since imposing the penalties. In addition,

the council allocated 10% of the fine to the citizen who files the complaint against the

channel, which makes citizens censor on each other's tastes.

Thus, new restrictions have been added to the existing ones, affecting negatively on the

freedom of media and creativity.

The number of blocked websites amounted to 109 during this month, according to a survey

prepared by the Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression in its report on blocked

websites in Egypt.

The blocking has been ended for a few hours on June 16, but it returned in the same day and

included new websites.



A high-level source at the Ministry of Communications said on June 20 that the government

bypassed Internet service providers and blocked the websites on their own. He added that

this blocking was likely conducted via Ramses communication central, which is the main

Internet access point in Egypt. It lies under the control of the National Telecommunications

Regulatory Authority (NTRA).

The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) released a technical analysis on the

role of three Egyptian Internet service providers in blocking the websites, including

Vodafone Egypt; TE Data, owned by Telecom Egypt; and Orange Egypt.

The analysis pointed out that the Egyptian Internet service providers used deep packet

inspection technology, which allows to intercept internet packets to identify their contents

and the nature of information transferred through them. They also used "Reset" technique

to disable the connection of websites.

The Chief Editor of Bawabet Yanair (January Gate), Amr Badr, said that his website was

blocked after it was hacked by unknown entity that published a fake article under his name,

insulting the President, the Speaker of Parliament and others.

An article, entitled "When the journalist is a failure and abomination", wrote by Mohamed

Al-Sharqawi and published in Youm7 newspaper attacked a fake article attributed to

journalist Khalid Al-Balshi, Chief Editor of Al-Bedaiah newspaper. In addition, Sout Al-Omma

newspaper attacked Badr and Al-Balshi in an article entitled "Writer hacked from behind

deny what they wrote."

On June 9, journalist Mokhtar Abdel Aal, Deputy Chief Editor of Al-Masa'a newspaper, was

banned from writing because of his article "Walking on the Thorns" that warned against

abandoning Tiran and Sanafir islands.

An issue of Al-Sabah newspaper was banned because of a footage from the Earth movie

published on its front page, in reference to the abandon of Tiran and Sanafir islands.

• Economic Environment

Hatem Zakaria, secretary-general of the Syndicate of Journalists, said that the registration

fees for new members will be increased to EGP 1,500 instead of EGP 400, without clarifying

the reasons of raising the fees, especially in the light of current economic circumstances.

• Media Performance

Youm7 newspaper deleted an interview made by journalist Eman Abu Taleb with her

husband Mohamed Samir, former military spokesperson, about their marriage, because of

the readers' criticizing comments on the interview via social media.

The newspaper said that it deleted the interview for "purely humanitarian and family

reasons".



In response, the newspaper published a small article by Samir, entitled "Mob” that also

provoked condemnation and anger among readers. Samir wrote another article to explain

that he meant electronic committees on social media, not the great Egyptian people, in his

article.

Social Media activists welcomed the Youm7's gesture for deleting the interview, on the

condition that the newspaper would use the same policy in dealing with other figures who

came under criticism, defamation, or accusation of treason.

• The Role of Civil Society

The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression filed a lawsuit before the

Administrative Court challenging the Egyptian government's blocking of dozens of websites

over the past weeks. It pointed out that those websites were blocked without issuing prior

decision or announcing the associated entity that issued the decision and its legal authority.

Papers of Research

The Journalists against Torture observatory issued its monthly report, entitled "64 Violations

against Media Freedom in May 2017", categorizing the violations according to the type of

violation, the victim's destination, the aggressor, and others

21 Abd El-Mgeed El-Ramaly st, 7th floor,Flat 71, Falaki square,Downtown, Cairo, Egypt

Tel./Fax. : +٢٠٢٧٩٥٨٨١

www.ecpps.org

Monthly observation

Freedom of Media

in EgyptReport

June 2017

monthly observation report freedom of media in …june 2017 the egyptian center for public policy...

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