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In Only One Week: the Supreme Council of the Press Revoke Two Newspapers’ Licenses

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. Anhri.net, had announced today its condemnation towards revoking the licenses of Azzohour magazine and Ashorouq newspaper in less than one week, because the security agencies are rejecting

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The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. Anhri.net, had announced today its condemnation towards revoking the licenses of Azzohour magazine and Ashorouq newspaper in less than one week, because the security agencies are rejecting Azzohour magazine and the contribution of some of the journalists as shareholders in Ashorouq newspaper.

The cancelation of Azzohour magazine’s license, for which Salah Abd el Magsoud works as a board chairman, he is a member of the Journalists Union Council, before one day of its printing, on the 1st of September 2008, and despite the prior approval obtained by Al Risala company the owner of the magazine last June, for illegal reasons, which is the objection of the security on the establishment of this magazine. The decision violates the Press Law that prohibits any administrative apparatus from obstructing or terminating any newspaper.

Revoking the license of the daily Ashorouq newspaper on the third of this month, September, the newspaper’s board council chaired by Ibrahim Al Mo’alim “the head of the Arab Publishers Union”, and its editor-in-chief Salama Ahmed Salama, is one of the most prominent Arab journalists, while the newspaper was getting ready for its first publicity, after obtaining the license in last June, so the annulment came with an irrational reason, which was having some journalist among the shareholders!

Revoking the license of the two publications by the pro-government Supreme Council of the Press, which it is members are assigned by the government, the decision came to affirm the real role of this council in repressing the Egyptian press, and that is why many of the journalists started to rename it as the “Supreme Council for Obstructing the Press”.

Obstructing and banning any newspaper is a dangerous matter, and threatening the freedom of the press. And if there are any thing that should be cancelled would be this “council”, the freedom of the newspapers and its issuance is a right of all the citizens and journalists, and Egypt should regard its legal and international related commitments.” said the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, anhri.net.