House Speaker’s Statements Flagrant Aggression On Freedoms: Press Syndicate

The Egyptian Press Syndicate expressed its worry over statements of the House Speaker in which he declared studying a possible incrimination of the media that helps publishing terrorism-related issues, in the coming anti-terrorism law, under the pretext that the media help terrorists in this case. It described the statements as a flagrant aggression against the press freedom in particular, leading to more unacceptable restrictions.
 
 
The board of the Egyptian Press Syndicate declared its severe anger and concern over the statements of the House Speaker, Dr. Ahmed Fathi Sorour, in which he declared studying a possible incrimination of the media that helps publishing terrorism-related issues, in the coming anti-terrorism law, under the pretext that the media help terrorists in this case. The Press Syndicate board described the statements of the People’s Assembly speaker as a flagrant aggression against freedoms in general and the press freedom in particular, and that this adds more unacceptable restrictions.
 
This is considered a serious precedent against the press and media that wasn’t imposed during foreign occupation or tyrannical governments, said the board.
 
The Press Syndicate board added, in a statement released on Saturday, that the statements of the People’s Assembly speaker make terrorist actions and what is published on newspapers equal, devastating all guarantees and rights that the constitution guaranteed to allow the press to do its role and message; these statements aim at intimidating newspapers and journalists.
 
It confirmed that this serious trend that gives a blind eye to the great role carried out by the Egyptian press which is considered among the first to combat terrorism, leading to assassinations among journalists, intellectuals and writers who faced this dangerous phenomenon.
 
The Press Syndicate board condemned Sorour’s statements, warning that it will call for holding a general assembly to face this attack, and it also calls on all powers and organizations concerned with press and expression freedoms to declare their rejection to this serious escalation against freedoms.
 
For his part, Mohamed Abdul Qoddous, the secretary-general of the freedoms committee in the Press Syndicate, said that the statements of the People’s Assembly speaker are a frank aggression against all freedoms and the press freedom and a serious deterioration in the file of freedoms in Egypt.
 
Abdul Qoddous added that Sorour’s statements reveal the scheme of the ruling regime: imposing more laws that restrict freedoms to prevent all opposition powers, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood, from showing any opposition, even through an article or weblog, against this dictatorial regime.