Case challenging media-related constitutional article rejected

CAIRO - 3 June 2017: The High Constitutional Court rejected a legal case calling for removal of a constitutional article which could imprison editors-in-chief for publication-related crimes on Saturday.

Lawyer Wahid Ghazi filed a lawsuit before the court to repeal Article No. 178 of the Criminal Code, per which editors-in-chief of media outlets may be imprisoned for up to two years and fined LE 5,000 ($277).

On March 25, a one-year imprisonment ruling was upheld against former head of the Journalists’ Syndicate Yahia al-Qalash and two other editors-in-chief over charges of “hiding fugitives from justice”.

Youm7 Editor-in-Chief Khaled Salah and reporter Sayed Falah were investigated over “publishing false news that disturbs peace and public security” in June 2015.They were released on bail of a LE 10,000 each a few hours later. The newspaper published a story that a car in President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s motorcade was attacked on its way back to Cairo from Sharm el-Sheikh.

In April 2017, President Sisi created the Supreme Council for the Administration of the Media. The council is authorized to punish media outlets that violate its regulations or media ethics. It also has the right to ban media content permanently or temporarily.