Monthly Observation Report Freedom of Media in Egypt March 2017 … · 2017-12-07 · March 2017...

Monthly Observation ReportFreedom of Media in Egypt

March 2017

Monthly observation report titled “Freedom of Media in Egypt”March 2017

Conducted byMarianne Sedhom

Reviewed byAhmed Ragab

Cover Design 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 ProgramMarch 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: Freedom of Media in Egypt March 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-for-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 the rule of law.



The Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies issues this monthly observation report

on the freedom of media in Egypt as an attempt to monitor the freedom and

independence of media in Egypt within the following five spheres:

Legal sphere Political

sphere

Economic

sphere

Performance

of media

The Role of

Civil Society



Contents

Introduction

The Legal Environment

The Political Environment

The Economic Environment

Media Performance

The Role of Civil Society



Introduction

This monthly Report monitors the legal development concerned with media and press,

freedom of access to information, sentences against media workers, the political situation

affecting them directly or indirectly; such censorship, prevention and confiscation, and

others. The guide also monitors the economic situation, as well as the extent of media’s

professionalism in covering incidents, and in displaying all views, particularly those of the

opposition. Finally, it monitors the efforts of civil society in defending the freedom of media

and press, and access to information, through publishing reports, and holding conferences

during the month of March 2017.



The Legal Environment

Al-Ahram Newspaper Managing Editor AbdelMohsen Salama was elected as Head of the

Press Syndicate1, with Hussein Al-Zanati, Mohamed Kharaja, and Gamal AbdelRahim elected

in the "over 30" category while Amr Badr, Mohamed Saad AbdelHaffeez, and Ayman

AbdelMeguid were elected members of the Syndicate Board in the mid-term renewal

elections.

Verdicts:

A ruling was issued concerning former Head of the Press Syndicate Yehia Kallash, former member of Syndicate Board Khaled El-Balshy, and current member Gamal AbdelHalim sentencing them to a suspended year of imprisonment for allegations of harboring criminals.

The Journalists’ Appeals Department, a section under Cairo Criminal Court, issued a ruling in favor of two journalists working at Al-Tahrir Newspaper, accepting their papers and registering them as Press Syndicate members.

The Association for the Freedom of thought and Expression had filed lawsuits in Jan. 2016, following the refusal of the Registration Committee of the Press Syndicate to enroll 18 journalists working at Al-Tahrir News since July 2015.

After two years of retention for Abdelrahman Abdelsalam Yaqout, the Karmouz website

photographer was found not guilty of claims of setting fire to a police station. The lawsuit is

traced back to March 21, 2015 when the website assigned Yaquot to cover a demonstration

outside the Fawzi Moaz Police Station in Hanovil district, Alexandria.

The Political Environment

The Parliament has issued a report against journalist Ibrahim Eissa, addressing criticism to

Al-Ahram national newspaper as “tarnishing the Parliament’s reputation despite being state-

funded”. The claims raised objections among the newspaper’s officials, who considered the

statements as undermining a well-established newspaper of Al-Ahram’s rank.

Restrictions and Crackdowns on Journalists and Media Professionals

Prosecution summoned Ibrahim Eissa to investigate a report against him filed by Parliament

Speaker Prof. Ali Abd el-Al for allegations of defaming the Parliament.



At the end of 5 days of detention despite providing documents proving his work as a

journalist, Ahmed Abu Deraa, journalist at Al-Masry Al-Youm, was released. Abu Deraa had

been disappeared since March 18, 2017, and with the lack of any communication with his

family, he was listed under “enforced disappearance”. Being a citizen of the Sheikh Zuwayed

area in Rafah, Sinai, provided a sufficient justification for arresting him, as the journalist

stated following his release.

Censorship over Content

Akhbar Alyoum Institution refused to publish the weekly issue of Al-Masriya Magazine,

appearing every Wednesday, as the cover included a poem written by Ahmed Said in

solidarity with football player Abu Trika, former Al-Ahly Club player, following the death of

his father. The poem depicts an imaginary conversation between Abu Trika and his mother,

asking him not to return to Egypt for fear of facing allegations of terrorism by the regime.

Other

General Ahmed Anis, Head of the Board of Directors of Nile Sat, was selected Head of the

National Media Council planned to replace the Egyptian Radio and Television Union.

The Economic Environment

Lebanese journalist Abbas Nasser was named the new Director of Al-Arabi TV broadcasted

from British London, as the channel works on airing from the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

The New Khaleej website published an official document confirming General Abbas Kamel,

Manager of President Abdelfatah Al-Sisi’s Office, as a founding member of Egyptian DMC

channels and a member of its board of directors.

On March 15th, the management of Aswat Masriya website, launched 6 years ago, informed

its employees that the team was to receive their full month payment for the current month

as their last month of employment due to the inability to secure the necessary funds for

website operations.



Media Performance

During his Akher Al-Nahar television show, aired on One satellite channel, Journalist Khaled

Salah claimed that Deutsche Wille channel has an anti-Egypt agenda, its presenters being an

intelligence vehicle against their countries. Khaled’s statements come as Deutsche Wille’s

discourse parts from the prevailing discourse in newspapers, channels and websites; with

Khaled stressing that the media must align and unify its discourse for the support of Egypt.

The Role of Civil Society

Statements

Various rights organizations asserted in a joint statement that the detainment of former

Head of the Press Syndicate and two members of the syndicate board was a blemish in the

record of press freedom.

The Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies expressed its reservation over the ruling issued

with regard to the Former Head of the Press Syndicate Yehia Kallash and other journalists,

considering the ruling a move aimed at intimidating journalists.

Research Papers

The Association for the Freedom of Thought and Expression prepared a research paper entitled “Criminal Defamation: a Limitation for Press Freedom, Ibrahim Eissa as an Example” referring to the dividing lines between the freedom of expression and the limits of legitimate criticism. The paper discussed Eissa as a case related not only to the freedom to express opinions, but as essentially a case of crashing with the journalistic right to publish and the media’s right to tackle information and ideas.

The Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies prepared training for MP assistants, aimed at

developing their skills with regards to using legislation and censorship tools. At the same

time, the training highlights the issues of press and media freedom through practical

applications on the relevant laws and articles of the constitution.

Moreover, the Center organized a conference entitled “Wins Made by the Legal Network for

Defending Journalists and Bloggers, and An Overview of the Laws Governing Media Freedom

in Egypt”. The conference reviewed the work of the Egyptian Lawyers Network dedicated to

defending journalists and bloggers along more than a year, as well as the Monthly Report on

Media Freedom in Egypt issued by the ECPPS for January, in addition to the status of media

freedom in Egypt and the laws governing all issues related to the press and media.

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

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

Monthly observation

Freedom of Media

in EgyptReport

March 2017

Monthly Observation Report Freedom of Media in Egypt March 2017 … · 2017-12-07 · March 2017...

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