Media News - Friday, August 24, 2012

Egypt’s Morsi moves to ease claims of censorship, media crackdown

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi issued a decree Thursday to cancel the detention of defendants awaiting trial for media offenses. It was his first legislative act since claiming wider authority from the military this month and came amid increasing accusations of state censorship. The decision not to imprison journalists awaiting “trial for media offenses is the president’s first use of legislative powers and it will be applied to release Islam Afifi, editor in chief of Al Dustour newspaper,” Yasser Ali, the presidential spokesman, was quoted saying by the state news agency. Egypt’s first Islamist president announced the decree, seen as a move to calm growing criticism against him, hours after a criminal court ordered Afifi to remain in custody pending his trial Sept. 16. Accused of defaming and insulting the president, Afifi heads the newspaper owned by the Wafd Party, a longtime opponent of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi has come under sharp criticism for a vigorous media clampdown that activists and journalists say has been orchestrated by his supporters and political bloc. Activists said the attacks on the media and freedom of expression have been more blatant than under Mubarak, who was pushed out of power after last year’s uprising against his autocratic rule. (LA Times blog)

• Home |
• Seminars  |
• Events |
• Media Landscape |
• Newsroom|
• Media News|
• Resources

Terms of service and Privacy policy.

Copyright © 1992- 2013 European Journalism Centre. All rights reserved.

Valid XHTML and CSS.

European Journalism Centre

Sonneville-lunet 10
6221KT Maastricht
The Netherlands

Tel. : +31 43 325 40 30
Fax : +32 2 400 42 20

E-mail: info[at]ejc.net