(EOHR/IFEX) – On 19 March 1998 the Censorship on Foreign Publications Department of the Ministry of Information confiscated the 19 March issue (# 2, volume II) of “Cairo Times” which had been issued on 17 February 1998, reports EOHR. The “Cairo Times” is a bi-monthly news-magazine which is printed in English and obtained its license […]
(EOHR/IFEX) – On 19 March 1998 the Censorship on Foreign Publications
Department of the Ministry of Information confiscated the 19 March issue (#
2, volume II) of “Cairo Times” which had been issued on 17 February 1998,
reports EOHR. The “Cairo Times” is a bi-monthly news-magazine which is
printed in English and obtained its license from Cyprus.
According to EOHR, “Cairo Times” publisher Hisham Kasim received a
verbal confiscation threat following the issue of 5 March 1998, which
included
an article by the news-magazine deputy editor-in-chief about his arrest and
detention for some hours in the State Security Investigations Office on 17
February 1998. Kasim stated that the primary reason for the confiscation of
the
19 March 1998 issue was that the censorship department objected to an
interview
with Mr. Khalil Abdel-Kareem, a writer who advocates a liberal interpretation
of Islam, on the basis that it harmed the image of Al-Azhar, the highest
Islamic
institution in Egypt. Another reason given by the censorship department was
the
publication of a commentary piece entitled “Our democracy – Yellower than
thou …” which critically reviewed the current status of freedom of
expression and the press in Egypt.
The EOHR believes that the confiscation of this issue of “Cairo
Times” will aggravate the tense climate that currently clouds the work of
journalists in Egypt. It demands a reconsideration of the administrative
decisions to confiscate newspapers and other publications as such measures
constitute a flagrant violation of the freedoms of the press, opinion and
expression. EOHR also notes that the confiscation of newspapers harms Egypt’s
image before international public opinion. The EOHR affirms that the Egyptian
government must commit itself to the provisions of the Constitution and the
international human rights standards to which Egypt is a state party.
