Egypt's prosecutor urges strict media monitoring
Egypt’s chief prosecutor has called for strict monitoring of the media and taking legal action against any outlet whose behavior disrupts security or hurts national interests.
Nabil Sadeq’s office issued a statement on Wednesday ordering his staff to closely watch the media activities.
The statement said the measures were needed to respond to “the endeavors of the forces of evil to undermine the security and the safety of the nation through the broadcast and publication of lies and false news.”
The term “forces of evil,” highlighted in Sadeq’s statement, has been frequently used by the administration of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to designate dissent and those close to the Muslim Brotherhood, the most dominant political party in Egypt and one of the oldest in the Muslim world which was banned after Sisi took power in 2014.
Tens of thousands of people have been arrested on suspicion of links to the Brotherhood, including many journalists and activists.
Sadeq’s statement said prosecutors across Egypt were supposed to protect the nation against the publication of “false news, statements or rumors” and the media that instill “terror” in society. The statement also called on media regulatory bodies to tip off the prosecutors about any violations by the media outlets.
The statement comes one month before presidential election in Egypt. Although Sisi is assured of an outright victory, police and security forces have stepped up a campaign against dissidents and prosecutors have ordered the detention of several high-profile figures ahead of the vote.
The close monitoring of the media also followed a report by BBC, which highlighted the repression of dissent under Sisi. The report, which has met fierce criticism of the authorities, documented cases of torture and forced disappearance of many activists since Sisi led a coup as the army chief to oust former President and Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
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