damaging ‘‘social peace,’’ ‘‘national unity,’’ ‘‘public order,’’ and ‘‘public values.’’ Violators of the rules face imprisonment, cancellation of broadcasting licenses, confiscation
of equipment, and fines. 14 The bill will create a National Agency for Regulation of
Audio and Visual Broadcast to enforce the implementation of the proposed rules. The
agency will be composed of representatives from national security and military intelligence entities. This draft bill coincides with an increase in the closure of television
channels by the government. 15
The Egyptian government enforced media licensing laws to punish an Egyptian
satellite company for broadcasting protest footage of antigovernment demonstrations
in April 2008. 16 The company was later shut down. This incident came a few weeks
after three other satellite channels were dropped by Egypt’s state-controlled Nilesat
satellite. 17
As the Egyptian blogosphere continues to grow, so too does the government’s crackdown on bloggers and Internet users. For example, blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman Amer (‘‘Kareem Amer’’) was sentenced to four years in prison in February 2007 for
‘‘incitement to hatred of Islam’’ on his blog and for insulting Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak. He became a symbol of online repression for the country’s bloggers. 18 Other
Egyptian bloggers have been arrested for their online activities and some were sentenced to prison. One of the most recent examples is blogger Mohamed Refaat, editor
of the blog Matabbat (matabbat.blogspot.com), who was arrested in August 2008
under the state emergency law. 19 He was accused of ‘‘offending the state institutions,
destabilizing public security, and inciting others to demonstrate and strike via the
Internet.’’ 20
The Egyptian authorities have also taken measures to restrict the potential use of
cell phones for activism. Under the pretext of protecting public security, the Egyptian
government asked cell phone companies to block service to anonymous subscribers in
May 2008. 21 Reuters reported that ‘‘the move comes as Egypt tries to combat a wave
of public discontent over rising prices and low wages that have sparked a series of
labor and anti-government strikes, organized largely by mobile phone and over the
Internet.’’ 22
In a landmark legal case, an administrative court in December 2007 rejected a lawsuit brought by a judge calling for the banning of 51 Web sites in Egypt. The court
emphasized its support for freedom of expression as long as such Web sites did not
harm fundamental beliefs or public order. 23 However, in May 2009, a Cairo court ruled
that the Egyptian government must ban access to pornographic Web sites because they
are deemed offensive to religion and society’s values. 24 The suit was filed by a lawyer
who claimed that a recent case of an Egyptian couple who were sentenced to prison
for starting a swingers club over the Internet highlighted what he called ‘‘the dangers
posed by such offensive Web sites.’’ 25 It remains to be seen whether the authorities will
enforce this court order.
540
Egypt
of equipment, and fines. 14 The bill will create a National Agency for Regulation of
Audio and Visual Broadcast to enforce the implementation of the proposed rules. The
agency will be composed of representatives from national security and military intelligence entities. This draft bill coincides with an increase in the closure of television
channels by the government. 15
The Egyptian government enforced media licensing laws to punish an Egyptian
satellite company for broadcasting protest footage of antigovernment demonstrations
in April 2008. 16 The company was later shut down. This incident came a few weeks
after three other satellite channels were dropped by Egypt’s state-controlled Nilesat
satellite. 17
As the Egyptian blogosphere continues to grow, so too does the government’s crackdown on bloggers and Internet users. For example, blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman Amer (‘‘Kareem Amer’’) was sentenced to four years in prison in February 2007 for
‘‘incitement to hatred of Islam’’ on his blog and for insulting Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak. He became a symbol of online repression for the country’s bloggers. 18 Other
Egyptian bloggers have been arrested for their online activities and some were sentenced to prison. One of the most recent examples is blogger Mohamed Refaat, editor
of the blog Matabbat (matabbat.blogspot.com), who was arrested in August 2008
under the state emergency law. 19 He was accused of ‘‘offending the state institutions,
destabilizing public security, and inciting others to demonstrate and strike via the
Internet.’’ 20
The Egyptian authorities have also taken measures to restrict the potential use of
cell phones for activism. Under the pretext of protecting public security, the Egyptian
government asked cell phone companies to block service to anonymous subscribers in
May 2008. 21 Reuters reported that ‘‘the move comes as Egypt tries to combat a wave
of public discontent over rising prices and low wages that have sparked a series of
labor and anti-government strikes, organized largely by mobile phone and over the
Internet.’’ 22
In a landmark legal case, an administrative court in December 2007 rejected a lawsuit brought by a judge calling for the banning of 51 Web sites in Egypt. The court
emphasized its support for freedom of expression as long as such Web sites did not
harm fundamental beliefs or public order. 23 However, in May 2009, a Cairo court ruled
that the Egyptian government must ban access to pornographic Web sites because they
are deemed offensive to religion and society’s values. 24 The suit was filed by a lawyer
who claimed that a recent case of an Egyptian couple who were sentenced to prison
for starting a swingers club over the Internet highlighted what he called ‘‘the dangers
posed by such offensive Web sites.’’ 25 It remains to be seen whether the authorities will
enforce this court order.
540
Egypt