The government had sped up the passage of the law after the state prosecutor was assassinated in a car bombing in late June, followed by a large-scale militant attack in the Sinai Peninsula days later.
- The military was infuriated after media, quoting security officials, reported that dozens of troops had been killed in the Sinai attack. The military’s official death toll was 21 soldiers and scores of militants.
The controversial law, published in the government’s official gazette, sets a minimum fine of 200,000 pounds (about $25,000) and a maximum of 500,000 pounds for for anyone who strays from government statements in publishing or spreading “false” reports on attacks or security operations against militants.
Critics say the steep fines may shut down smaller newspapers, and deter larger ones from independently reporting on attacks and operations against militants.
The government had initially proposed a jail sentence for offenders, but backed down after a backlash from Egyptian media.
The ratified law, however, added another clause allowing courts to “prevent the convicted from practising the profession for a period of no more than one year, if the crime violates the principles of the profession.”
It did not specifically mention journalism.
The law also lays out the death penalty for those convicted of leading “terrorist groups” or financing attacks.
Hundreds of Islamists have been sentenced to death in mass trials since Sisi, a former army chief, overthrew Islamist president Mohammad Mursi in July 2013.
Many of them have won retrials, and Mursi himself, sentenced to death last June, has appealed his verdict.
AFP
alarabiya.net
17/8/15
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Related:
Egypt's Sinai hit by worst violence in years
Attacks in Egypt's Sinai kill at least 12, mostly police
Egypt: Police foil terrorist attack at Karnak temple in Luxor. (No casualties among temple visitors or security forces)
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Ägypten: Neues Anti-Terrorgesetz knebelt Journalisten...
ReplyDeleteÄgyptens Staatschef Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hat ein umstrittenes Anti-Terror-Gesetz in Kraft gesetzt, das Journalisten bei von der Behördenversion abweichender Darstellung extremistischer Angriffe mit hohen Geldstrafen belegt. Das Gesetz wurde am Sonntag im Amtsblatt des nordafrikanischen Landes veröffentlicht.
Wenn ein Bericht nicht der offiziellen Darstellung eines Angriffs entspricht, werden demnach mindestens 200.000 ägyptische Pfund (22.900 Euro) als Strafe fällig, die Höchststrafe liegt bei 500.000 Pfund. Zunächst waren in Artikel 33 des Anti-Terror-Gesetzes für Berichte, die von den Angaben der ägyptischen Behörden abweichen, sogar Haftstrafen von mindestens zwei Jahren vorgesehen. Nach heftiger Kritik von Medienvertretern wurde die Regelung geändert.............http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/4800624/Aegypten_Neues-AntiTerrorgesetz-knebelt-Journalisten?from=rss