Egypt’s Journalists Union is criticizing a press freedom bill, claiming it defends corruption and constitutes a step backwards in the state of freedom of press.
As of Monday, union members will begin an open protest against the bill, which they say limits press freedom. The government is discussing the bill on Sunday.
Egypt’s government has amended a contentious law that allows the Egyptian authorities to arrest journalists for publishing reports which include criticism of senior officials and corruption, among other issues.
But the union says the changes are merely cosmetic and reverse President Hosni Mubarak’s pledge to abolish the detention of journalists for their publications, a promise made before the presidential elections last year.
Union officials said the bill is even worse than the current law, the opposition paper Al-Wafd reported. Also, MP Muhammad Kharaga complained that the amended law was presented to parliament without being presented to the journalists’ union beforehand.
Last week, an Egyptian court sentenced an editor, a journalist and another civilian to a year in prison for publishing a report critical of Mubarak, his family and other senior officials.
The report, which appeared in the independent weekly A-Dustour, said an Egyptian lawyer wanted to take Mubarak and some of his family members to court on allegations of corruption.
They were found guilty of insulting the president and spreading propaganda that can disturb public security.
Press freedom organizations have condemned the decision, which they say demonstrates Cairo’s intolerance of independent journalism.
