Alert
Brussels, 3 September 2018
As President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi approved on Friday the controversial National Press Authority Law, EuroMed Rights expresses its concern about the devastating consequences the law will have over freedom of expression, in particular internet freedom, in the country.
According to the new law, the control over all media publication on the internet would be in the hands of a Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), whose members will be chosen directly by President Al-Sisi. The SCMR will have the power to suspend and fine publications and broadcasters, and it will also consider private Twitter and Facebook accounts with more than 5,000 followers as media outlets.
Since the 2013 ouster of President Morsi, pressure and harassment on journalists and media outlets has increased constantly. EuroMed Rights strongly condemns this new law that would further tighten the control of media and private citizens by the state, and would deeply undermine freedom of expression.