.Fears rise as Egypt cracks down on press and liberties
The authorities in Egypt have widened emergency laws and clamped down on the press, raising fears of a curtailment of the liberties gained after the popular uprising which toppled Hosni Mubarak, the former president, earlier this year.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in power during a promised transition to elected rule, said on Sunday night that it was widening emergency legislation to cover a range of “threats to public order” including “attacks on the freedom to work” – code for strikes – and the deliberate dissemination of rumours and false information.
“The most dangerous thing is that they have amended the emergency law to cover what they consider crimes committed by journalists,” said Gamal Fahmy, a board member of the journalists union. “The text is vague and can stretch to cover all sorts of criticism of the authorities.”
The reactivation of the emergency law came hours after a police raid on the offices of an Egypt-focused television channel launched after the revolution by Qatar-based Al Jazeera television. The channel was taken off the air and the authorities said it was operating without a licence.
The tough measures by the military council were triggered by the storming on Friday of the Israeli embassy by protesters who proceeded to fling its documents out of windows to cheering crowds on the street.
Much to the embarrassment of Egypt’s military rulers, they received calls from Israel and the United States urging the country to respect its international obligations.
But even before the embassy events, the military council – made up of some twenty top commanders with no political experience – has been buffeted by unfamiliar pressures from every direction. Liberal and Islamist groups are clamouring to influence the political arrangements of the transition; young activists have been mobilising rallies to call for radical changes to break with repressive practises of the past; labour strikes have multiplied; and the country is in the grip of a crime wave.
“I think we will see restrictions during the coming period, especially because elections are approaching [in November.]” said Nasser Amin, who heads the Centre for the Independence of the Judiciary, a legal civil society group.
“It is an attempt to regain control of the situation using the same security methods for which President Mubarak was criticised. In my view this reflects a state of confusion.”
The moves by the council have further fuelled rumours during a period of political opacity. Some Egyptians speculate that, contrary to what they have announced, the military do not want to leave power.
But analysts say the army commanders, all of whom are Mubarak appointees, do not want to be lumbered by the day to day running of the country. They are more likely to prefer a credible elected government within a system in which they can maintain some leverage on the broad political direction of the country.
Mr Fahmy argues that repression is unlikely to work after the revolt which toppled Mr Mubarak.
“They [the council] are opting for the easy solution which is reviving Mubarak’s methods, but society has changed and now people are certain of their power. They can go out on the streets again to remind those who have forgotten that they carried out a revolution.”
FT.com
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in power during a promised transition to elected rule, said on Sunday night that it was widening emergency legislation to cover a range of “threats to public order” including “attacks on the freedom to work” – code for strikes – and the deliberate dissemination of rumours and false information.
“The most dangerous thing is that they have amended the emergency law to cover what they consider crimes committed by journalists,” said Gamal Fahmy, a board member of the journalists union. “The text is vague and can stretch to cover all sorts of criticism of the authorities.”
The reactivation of the emergency law came hours after a police raid on the offices of an Egypt-focused television channel launched after the revolution by Qatar-based Al Jazeera television. The channel was taken off the air and the authorities said it was operating without a licence.
The tough measures by the military council were triggered by the storming on Friday of the Israeli embassy by protesters who proceeded to fling its documents out of windows to cheering crowds on the street.
Much to the embarrassment of Egypt’s military rulers, they received calls from Israel and the United States urging the country to respect its international obligations.
But even before the embassy events, the military council – made up of some twenty top commanders with no political experience – has been buffeted by unfamiliar pressures from every direction. Liberal and Islamist groups are clamouring to influence the political arrangements of the transition; young activists have been mobilising rallies to call for radical changes to break with repressive practises of the past; labour strikes have multiplied; and the country is in the grip of a crime wave.
“I think we will see restrictions during the coming period, especially because elections are approaching [in November.]” said Nasser Amin, who heads the Centre for the Independence of the Judiciary, a legal civil society group.
“It is an attempt to regain control of the situation using the same security methods for which President Mubarak was criticised. In my view this reflects a state of confusion.”
The moves by the council have further fuelled rumours during a period of political opacity. Some Egyptians speculate that, contrary to what they have announced, the military do not want to leave power.
But analysts say the army commanders, all of whom are Mubarak appointees, do not want to be lumbered by the day to day running of the country. They are more likely to prefer a credible elected government within a system in which they can maintain some leverage on the broad political direction of the country.
Mr Fahmy argues that repression is unlikely to work after the revolt which toppled Mr Mubarak.
“They [the council] are opting for the easy solution which is reviving Mubarak’s methods, but society has changed and now people are certain of their power. They can go out on the streets again to remind those who have forgotten that they carried out a revolution.”
FT.com
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