Thursday, May 3, 2018

Happy F*cking World Press Freedom Day Dear Egypt

Another World Press Freedom Day comes and Egypt’s Press is having its worst days ever.
According to Reporters without borders “RSF”, Egypt is considered one of the World’s biggest prison for journalists as there are currently 27 journalists detained and imprisoned as well 5 citizen journalists detained and imprisoned.
It is already ranking 161 in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index out of 180 countries.
It is the 11th worst Arab country and 7th worst African country when it comes to press freedom.
It did not change from 2017.

Freedom of the Press worldwide in 2018
"RSF"
I do not know if it is good or bad for real but it is sad that Egypt appears among the black countries in the RSF map once again.
Reporters Without borders’ official website is already blocked in Egypt and I think this says a lot.

Speaking about blocked websites in Egypt, I believe the number of those websites are exceeding more and more.
During the Presidential elections in March, Egyptian news and citizen journalism website Al-Manassa was blocked in Egypt because it dared and exposed the truth of the so-called US Congress observers delegation in the elections.

Most Pro-Mainstream media in Egypt highlighted on how a so-called US Congress delegation of elections observers was warmly received at a polling station in Mounfia governorate. Videos showed members of the delegation dancing with locals and having lunch as well smoking water pipes aka Shisha in a bizarre scene on the first day of the elections.
Al-Manassa published on 29 March a very good report explaining how that delegation was not an official US one or related to Congress in anyway and it was in fact a bizarre delegation made of Pro-Egyptian regime right wing US activists !!
The next day the Website was blocked.
A cartoon by Egyptian cartoonist Doaa El-Adl about Press freedom
A cartoon by Egyptian cartoonist Doaa El-Adl about Press freedom
The presidential elections in March were like a curse for the Egyptian Press.
The ex-editor in chief of Al Masry Al Youm “AMAY” newspaper was sacked from his position because of a headline.
He and 4 of its journalists are being investigated by the High State prosecutor general. Journalist Mohamed Saleh had been released pending investigation on LE 10,000 bail in April in that case.
Saleh is luckier than currently-blocked-in-Egypt-Masr Al Arabia news website editor in chief and veteran journalist Adel Sabry who has been detained pending investigations since 4 April.
Sabry is accused of the same list of charges including joining an illegal group and spreading false news.

Independent Egyptian citizen journalist and Blogger Mohamed Radwan aka Mohamed Oxygen has been also detained since early April. Here is his blog or rather his news portal.

Speaking about news websites , famous Nasserite leftist leaning blocked-in-Egypt-website El-Badil closed down on 22 April indefinitely because it cannot continue while being blocked in Egypt , its main target.
Back to Al-Masry Al-Youm , a new Pro-regime veteran journalist Hamdy Rizk was appointed as its new editor-in-chief in early April.
To be honest , I am not following the changes made by Rizk in the editorial policies of AMAY but in late April famous Pro-democracy author Ezzedine Fishere found out that his op-ed was not published in the daily newspaper.
FYI , the decision not to publish the liberal write who resides the United States currently earlier this week came as part of a silly campaign in the Pro-regime media claiming that he is heading some sort of a coalition or front with the Muslim Brotherhood in Brooklyn !! “Exhibit 1 and 2
The only relation with Brooklyn Fishere is his 2011-fiction novel “Embrace on Brooklyn bridge” !!

As you can see I am speaking about what in April only !!

I end with that quote of Karam Gabr, the current head of the High National press authority “NPA” tasked by the constitution to manage Egypt’s State-owned newspapers institutions.
“Journalists are not using the current margin of press freedom as they should,” He said in his interview with AMAY on the occasion of World Freedom press day !! The veteran journalist who supports regime openly admits that we do not have a true press freedom but a press freedom margin !!
Happy World Press Freedom Day dear Egypt indeed !!

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