Mohsen Radi (member of the parliamentary bloc of Muslim Brotherhood and a member of the Committee on Information, Culture and Tourism in PA) denounced the decision of the Supreme Council of Press to cancel the license of "Al-Zouhoor" magazine issued by Al-Ressala Publishing House after one day of its publication.

 
 “The step is against press freedom, and classified under the policy of restraining press freedom, that the NDP institutions follow,” Radi stated to the Bloc’s website.

Radi said he was not surprised at this step by the Supreme Council of Press, pointing out that the council has become “suspicious”; it is not independent, and follows the orders of the executive authority. Radi called for canceling this Council, as “the reality of the press and media in Egypt will be much more better without it.”

 

The Supreme Council of Press has cancelled the license of “Al-Zouhoor” magazine, issued by Al-Ressala Publisher for press, printing and publishing, after one day of its publication (four days ago), and the Council has informed the Department of General Authority for Investment to cancel the certificate letter of Al-Ressala Company because of its “lack of commitment” to conditions, the thing that prevents the printing and publishing of the magazine.

 
Salah Abdul Maksoud (board chairman of the magazine and the Press Syndicate Council agent) denied that Muslim Brotherhood may have any link to the magazine, pointing out that he was not a contributor inside it, but he was selected to head the board of directors only.

“The Muslim Brothers themselves were surprised that we have obtained the license from the Supreme Council of Press, but when the Council officials discovered after one day of the magazine publication that I am one of its members, they canceled the license, despite the fact of its being a legal entity,” Abdul Maksoud said.

He considered the act of canceling the license as “unprecedented” in the history of the press, saying that it is a “scoop” in the history of press companies to delete a company from the trade record without committing any violations,  or even beginning to direct its activity to commit any violations.

He confirmed that he will file a lawsuit against the Supreme Council and the Investment Authority, denouncing what he called “attempts to disrupt”, pointing out that the company is an “existing” entity which has its own trade record ,tax card, accounts in banks, financial and administrative structure, and social insurances.