Egypt: Journalists to Strike over Press Restrictions

As reported by adnki.com, twelve Egyptian newspapers announced today that they are going on strike. The editors-in-chief of the twelve newspapers—which include independent and opposition dailies and magazines—met at the journalists’ union headquarters in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss what they could do in reaction to the upcoming parliamentary vote on the new press freedom bill; if passed, the bill will legalize imprisonment and possibly a fine as punishment for journalists convicted of libel.

The announcement of the strike came two days after a group of journalists met with the speaker of the lower house to try to resolve the conflict.

Adnki.com reports,

“On Monday, a delegation of journalists, headed by the union's chairman Galal Aref, met the speaker of the lower house, Fathi Surur, to try find a solution to the crisis. The meeting's main topic was article 308 of the controversial draft law, which states that journalists who criticise or discuss the private property of public figures can be jailed. Aref has sent a letter to Mubarak asking him to intervene to solve the crisis.”


To read more about the pending newspaper strike, click here
To read more about the controversial new press freedom bill, click here