Journalists Under Threat Around the World: Egypt

Iran is a dangerous place to be a journalist, particularly when it comes to reporting on sensitive topics, from religion and politics to gender and society. Dozens of journalists are in prison, and many others face intimidation, harassment and threats. Media freedom in Iran is in a poor state, ranking 165 out of 180 in this year’s Reporters Sans Frontiers’ World Press Freedom Index, which assesses media freedom around the world.

But how does Iran compare to other countries, in the region and further afield?

In this series, we look at four countries where press freedom is under threat, where journalists are targeted and silenced, and the rights of ordinary citizens are undermined. 

 

 

REPORT ON FREEDOM OF PRESS & EXPRESSION: EGYPT
Freedom in the World score, 2017 (Freedom House)	167th (out of 211 countries: "not free")
Freedom of Information ranking, 2016 (RSF)	159th (out of 180 countries)
Journalists in prison in Dec 2016 (CPJ)	25 (third highest in world)
Journalists in prison in Dec 2016 (ANHRI)	63
Journalists killed since 1992 (CPJ)	12

 

 

Six years on from the January 2011 uprising, freedom of the press and expression in Egypt are in a perilous state. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has led a campaign of persecution against independent media and civil society groups since taking power in the July 2013 military coup, while consolidating his autocratic rule. Many human rights groups believe the situation is far worse now than it was under ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak. 

Nearly all opposition and Islamist media outlets were shut down following the coup, and criticism of the regime is now effectively banned. Journalists and activists face severe consequences for speaking out, including physical harassment, imprisonment and even death. Eleven reporters have been killed since 2011, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and as yet no perpetrators have been brought to account. 

CPJ also reported that 25 journalists were in prison at the end of 2016, making it the third biggest jailer of journalists in the world. The Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) puts the figure higher, at 63. Other obstacles to free reporting include lack of access to public information, military zone travel bans and political pressure. Vast numbers of human rights and free expression groups have been forced to close in recent years in an unprecedented crackdown on civil society.

In court, journalists and activists rarely receive a fair hearing, and must contend with a growing arsenal of repressive laws. These include inciting or participating in protests, disseminating “false rumours”, terrorism, defamation and damaging morality. Some political prisoners spend years in pre-trial detention, where torture and mistreatment are commonplace, and routinely face heavy jail-terms – especially those with alleged links to the political and social movement the Muslim Brotherhood.

Direct censorship is also widely practised to ensure the media remains at heel. Regular gag orders restrict print media coverage of a wide range of issues, including state criticism, the Muslim Brotherhood, sectarian tensions, sexual liberty, abuses by security forces – including extrajudicial killings and deaths under torture – and human rights issues in general. 

The authorities rarely block or remove online content, and popular media sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and blog-hosting services all remain freely available. However, penalties against internet users and online journalists continue to toughen, and recent months have seen a shift in focus from the Muslim Brotherhood to bloggers and the broader population. 

 

Economic Climate

The Egyptian media is among the most influential and widely broadcast in the Arab world. Television remains the most popular source of news, controlled by one state-run broadcaster, the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU), and several private networks. Almost all coverage is pro-government, with most opposition outlets having moved abroad following the 2013 coup.

ERTU produces a range of channels, but has struggled to retain popularity amid competition from private satellite stations based in Egypt and the Gulf. In 2015, the government began a five-year restructuring process aimed at reducing ERTU’s debt and improving its programming. 

More than 500 newspapers, magazines and other periodicals, including around 20 dailies, compete with the networks. Several are state-owned, though the penetration of print media remains limited. In a country of 89 million people, two of the largest papers – the majority state-owned Al-Ahram and the privately owned Al-Masry al-Youm – have circulations of under a million.

Political and economic pressures have taken their toll on Egypt's print media in recent years. The state asserts economic leverage through advertising subsidies, though the extent of this is unclear due to industry opacity. It also has considerable political clout: in August 2015, the newspapers Al-Mesryoon, Al-Sabah, and Sawt al-Ummah had press runs banned or destroyed because they published content critical of the government, significantly impacting their profits. Meanwhile, both state-owned and private outlets have suffered tough budget cuts due to Egypt's struggling economy. 

More than a third of Egyptians now access the internet regularly, and more than two-thirds have access to mobile phones. However, online-only news publications are not recognised as official media outlets, creating tough obstacles for journalists wishing to gain access to government sources, fact-check information or obtain press credentials. With limited resources and support, many independent news websites have been forced to close.

Websites of state-owned newspapers and those supported by government-friendly financiers currently dominate the online media landscape. However, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites are becoming increasingly popular and were widely used in both the 2011 and 2013 uprisings. In 2015, 28 million Egyptians used Facebook, according to Freedom House, accounting for approximately 30 percent of all Facebook users in the Arab region.

State surveillance of online activity is a pressing concern. Facebook's “Free Basics” service was suspended in December 2016 over an alleged licensing issue, but media reports suggest the real reason may have been the company's refusal to allow the state to spy on users. Various regulations prevent citizens from using the internet anonymously, and encryption is banned. ISPs and mobile operators are also obliged to maintain records of customer data and allow government access.

 

 

Legal Climate

The Egyptian Constitution, adopted in January 2014, significantly improves protections for the press, expression, access to information and other civil liberties. It bans all forms of media censorship, including the suspension and closure of outlets, and prohibits prison terms for press crimes. It also guarantees the independence of state-owned media outlets, and declares that private communications can only be intercepted by judicial order, for a limited period of time.

However, the rights enshrined in the constitution have not been enforced in practice, and the document suffers from significant flaws and loopholes. The constitution allows for exceptions to the censorship clause in “times of war or general mobilisation,” while exceptions to protected media offences include incitement to violence and “discrimination.” The existing press laws and penal code also remain in place, including criminal defamation, blasphemy and “damage to national unity.”

The constitution calls for an independent media regulator, but it has yet to be established. In reality, regulations are often arbitrary, opaque and unevenly enforced. In December 2016, a press law was drafted that mandated the establishment of three regulatory bodies, but media groups have voiced concerns over its potential impartiality due to provisions that require the majority of members to be state-appointed. 

Egypt was under a permanent state of emergency from 1981 to 2013, except for a brief period following the 2011 uprising. Emergency law was imposed again for three months on April 9, 2017, following a deadly attack on Coptic churches. The law grants the government extensive powers of surveillance, censorship and detention, as well as the ability to refer civilians to state security courts. Individuals referred to these courts have few means of appeal. 

The Egyptian government uses various criminal laws to stifle independent voices. These include bans on inciting or participating in protests, disseminating “false rumours,” terrorist acts, defamation and damaging morality. Further repressive legislation has been passed in recent years, including new laws on counter-terrorism and cybercrime.

The counter-terrorism law, ratified in August 2015, broadens the definition of “terrorism,” prohibits journalists from publishing independent accounts of militant violence, allows police to monitor internet activity, strengthens legal immunity for security forces and increases penalties for terrorism-related crimes. Anyone convicted of spreading terrorist messages online can face up to seven years in prison, while the crime of setting up a terrorist group is punishable by death. 

The cybercrime law, approved in September 2016, has attracted widespread criticism for its vague provisions that effectively criminalise online dissent. The law imposes a life sentence without parole for crimes intended to disrupt public order or harm national unity. It also gives law enforcement agencies the power to request the blocking of websites deemed a threat to national security.

The 2002 law on associations grants the government sweeping powers over free speech groups and other NGOs, including the ability to shut them down and imprison individuals working with unregistered groups. Under a 2014 decree, NGO workers who use foreign funding to “harm the national interest” face possible life imprisonment. In November 2016, parliament approved a new law that further constricted NGO work, placing all organizations under the effective veto power of a state-run council. Anyone violating the law faces a prison term of one to five years.

 

Key Events

 

— 2015 —

Freedom of the press and expression severely deteriorated throughout 2015. The Cairo-based Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) documented some 172 media freedom violations in the first half of the year alone. Dozens of journalists were detained, most on terrorism-related charges, and 23 remained behind bars in December, according to the CPJ. Overall, around 40,000 people were detained on political grounds during the year, according to civil society groups. Reports of extra-judicial killings and forced disappearances increased markedly in 2015, with estimates among NGOs ranging from dozens to hundreds of cases. 

 

January

• Dozens of journalists were assaulted, detained or had their equipment confiscated while covering demonstrations on the anniversary of the 2011 uprising, according to AFTE. Live ammunition was used on protesters, killing at least 23 people, according to state reports. 

• A two-year travel ban was imposed on leading activist Esraa Abdel Fattah for allegedly receiving foreign funding.

 

March

• Photographer Abdelrahman Yaqot was accused of plotting to blow up an Alexandria police station on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood, and later jailed for two years.

 

April

• The Saudi-owned Egyptian TV station MBC Masr suspended Ibrahim Eissa’s news program after he criticized the Saudi government, a close ally of Egypt. 

 

July

• Italian surveillance software manufacturer Hacking Team was hacked, revealing that the Egyptian government had purchased spyware with the ability to monitor encrypted communications, record online calls and emails and remotely turn on a device's webcam.

• Security officials arrested Yahya Khalaf, director of online news network Yaqeen, on charges of illegally operating a media wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. 

 

[Ibrahim Eissa's news program was suspended after he criticized the Saudi government]

August

• The print runs of Al-Mesryoon, Al-Sabah, and Sawt al-Ummah newspapers were banned or destroyed after they published content that criticized the government. 

• Photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, who had been held in pretrial detention since August 2013, reported that he had been tortured and had been denied medication to treat hepatitis.

• Al Jazeera reporters Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were jailed for three years at their retrial for aiding a terrorist organization. They were released in September on a presidential pardon.

 

September

• Authorities banned reporting on an Egyptian military helicopter mistakenly firing on a group of Mexican tourists, killing 12 people.

 

October

• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services were blocked over most mobile connections.

• A military court jailed 22-year-old Amr Nohan for three years for posts on social media, including a picture of President Sisi that had been altered to show him with Mickey Mouse ears. 

 

November

• A prominent ERTU television host, Azza al-Hanawy, was suspended after calling on President Sisi to address government corruption. 

• Hossam Bahgat, a prominent journalist with online newspaper Mada Masr, was charged with disseminating false information and endangering national security after writing about a military plot to depose the president.

• Investigative journalist Ismail Alexandrani, whose work focuses on jihadists in the Sinai, was charged with disseminating false information and belonging to a terrorist organization.

 

December

• The mass trial began of photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid (“Shawkan”), and more than 730 other people on charges of joining a criminal gang and murder connected to the Raba'a al-Adawiya sit-in in August 2013.

• Thirteen journalists who had been sentenced to life in prison and one sentenced to death for plotting against the state during the Raba'a al-Adawiya sit-in were granted a retrial.

 

— 2016 —

The state continued to pursue repressive tactics, leading to a drop in independent media coverage and political activism. At least 25 journalists remained behind bars in December, according to the CPJ, the third highest number in the world, after Turkey and China. AFTE recorded some 437 violations against journalists, including detention and assault, during the course of the year. Security forces continued their crackdown on protesters, arresting around 1,300 people between mid-April 2015 and early May 2016, according to estimates by a coalition of Egyptian human rights lawyers. 

 

January

• Poet Fatima Naoot was jailed for three years for “contempt of religion” in relation to a Facebook post that criticized the tradition of slaughtering sheep for the religious holiday of Eid El-Adha. 

Fatima Naoot

 

• Egypt's parliament endorsed a controversial anti-terrorism law mandating fines on journalists for contradicting official versions of militant attacks.

February

• Writer and novelist Ahmed Nagi received a two-year sentence for “sexually explicit” content in his novel, Using Life. He was released in December pending appeal.

• Four Christian teenagers were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for a YouTube video mocking the so-called Islamic State. The boys fled Egypt in April. 

 

March

 

• Al-Sayed Youssef el-Naggar was jailed for one year for a Facebook post calling for the burning of Islamic jurisprudence books he perceived to be supporting extremism. 

• A court declared a media gag order on an investigation into foreign funding of human rights organizations, prompting an outcry by civil society groups.

 

May

• Press Syndicate head Yahia Galash and two board members were charged with harboring suspects and publishing false news after two journalists accused of belonging to the April 6 Youth Movement were found at their headquarters. The journalists were charged with inciting protests and publishing false rumours.

• Four members of the Street Children satire troupe were charged with insulting the president for posting YouTube videos mocking President Sisi.

 

Street Children satire troupe

 

June

• Ousted president Mohamed Morsi was jailed for 25 years for leading a banned group and a further 15 years for stealing classified information. The court sentenced six other men to death, including three journalists in their absence.

 

November

• A court jailed Press Syndicate head Yahia Galash and two board members for two years.

• Parliament approved a controversial new law regulating NGOs. The law would “effectively eliminate independent human rights work,” according to Amnesty International.

• TV host Amr al-Leithy was prevented from leaving Egypt following an interview with a tuk-tuk driver who criticized the government. His show was later taken off air.

• Journalist Rabie al-Saadany was charged with criminal defamation for publishing an article about child prostitution.

• Four journalists were detained during nationwide protests over economic reforms. Three were released, but photojournalist Abdelrahman Taher was charged with illegal protesting and belonging to a terrorist group.

• Journalists from al-Bawaba newspaper were charged with insulting the office of the public prosecutor after they covered remarks made by a former minister in March 2016.

• An Al Mehwar TV interview with Egypt's former top auditor Hesham Geneina was cancelled due to pressure from the president's office, according to Mada Masr. Geneina faced charges of spreading false news after accusing state officials of corruption.

 

December

• A press law was drafted that mandated the establishment of three regulatory bodies, but media groups voiced serious concerns over their independence.

• Al-Jazeera producer Mahmoud Hussein was held on charges of incitement against state institutions and publishing false news following the broadcast of a documentary about army conscription in Egypt.

 

— 2017 —

January

• Around 1,500 citizens, including journalists, were designated “terrorists” for their alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.

 

February

• Leading lawmakers asked the state to investigate Al-Maqal editor Ibrahim Eissa after he published a series of satirical headlines lambasting the parliament and government. 

• Researchers at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab exposed a large-scale phishing campaign against civil society in Egypt, and particularly targeting seven leading NGOs. The researchers exposed a series of at least 92 electronic attempts to gain access to sensitive data. The majority of the cases the researchers documented were also subjects of Case 173, a massive legal case the Egyptian government brought against NGOs. 

 

March

• The two-year sentence for Press Syndicate head Yahia Galash and two board members was reduced on appeal; they were handed down a suspended one-year sentence.

• Badr Mohammed Badr, the former editor of al-Osra al-Arabia newspaper, was arrested on unknown charges.

• Ghazi Sami Ghazi was charged with joining a terrorist organization and publishing false news in connection with poems he posted on Facebook. 

 

April

 

• Activist Nael Hassan was charged with insulting the president online and attempting to overthrow the government.

• Human rights lawyer Mohamed Ramadan Abdel-Basit was jailed for 10 years in absentia on terrorism-related charges for Facebook posts deemed to be a threat to state security.

• Al-Bawaba newspaper was banned from printing for two days following criticism of the country's security strategy.