Egypt’s despot leader has made journalism a crime

Egypt has cracked down on the media and has effectively made journalism a crime as the government are controlling information.

Amnesty International have said that if journalists question the official state line, then they are thrown into prison and being accused of terrorism.

Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa director Philip Luther, said, “The Egyptian authorities have made it very clear that anyone who challenges the official narrative will be severely punished.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted, “Journalists & media workers help us make informed decisions that could make the difference between life & death.”

According to the human rights group, there have been 37 cases where journalists have been detained, which goes against press freedoms.

Under a ridiculous new counter terror law, journalists are being charged with spreading what the Egyptian authorities deem to be “false news” or misusing “social media.”

The despot leader, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power in 2013 now has control over nearly all TV stations, newspapers and media outlets, for fear of being exposed.

Egypt’s intelligence services have also bought out many private media companies, according to Amnesty.

A pro-government media outlet’s editor-in-chief of the AlkararPress website, Atef Hasballah was sent to prison for simply questioning the health ministry’s figueres.

He was detained under the suspicion that he joined a “terrorist organisation.”

Anyone who spreads, what the Egyptian authorities believe to be “false news” will face upto five years in prison with hefty fines, Egypt’s public prosecutor warned.

A Guardian newspaper correspondent was expelled after he wrote a perfect article that indicated the infection rates could be higher than what the government are reporting.

The journalist told Amnesty International and said that the state are increasing their intervention over media coverage.

According to a journalist, if media outlets do not adhere to praising prison conditions and those who have spoken against political opponents have “been interrogated or imprisoned.”