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SUPPORT CORRUPTION, JAIL A JOURNALIST
For democracy to work, the press
must be free to publish articles of public concern without fear
of recrimination. Egypt’s newly amended Press Law is all about
recrimination, mandating hefty fines and jail terms to those who
dare to speak out against corruption or social injustice.
While President Hosni Mubarak intervened to strike an amendment
that metes out three-year jail terms for questioning the financial
integrity of public officials, the law still calls for £E
15,000 to £E 40,000 fines for the offense. And a prison sentence
awaits journalists who attempt to hold public officials accountable
for their misdeeds.
For insults to the president or foreign heads of state, it’s
up to five years in prison. Journalists whose articles impugn “the
dignity and honor of individuals,” can expect a minimum of
six months behind bars. And jail time is mandated for whoever “deliberately
diffuses news, information/data, or false or tendentious rumors,
or propagates exciting publicity, if this is liable to disturb public
security, spread horror among the people or cause harm or damage
to the public interest.”
The new Press Law intimidates journalists with broad parameters
and vague definitions that insidiously leave plenty of room for
interpretation. It’s not hard to conceive that a powerful
official could claim that press reports of his corruption –
even if 100 percent true – are insulting, an attack on his
dignity and honor, and the propagation of false rumors. In fact,
if the new law were fully enforced, Egypt’s most dedicated
journalists might be in prison by the end of the year.
It’s regrettable, to say the least. In November 2004, Mubarak
promised to do away with custodial sentences for libel and pledged
to amend the Press Law so that no journalist would go to jail solely
for their writings. In the intervening months, however, several
journalists have found themselves behind bars. In most cases, these
journalists didn’t actually make any libelous accusations;
they merely reported on ongoing lawsuits or political hot potatoes.
In other words, they were punished for doing their job.
CAM MCGRATH
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