Interior Ministry threatens newspaper following report on police violations

The Interior Ministry issued a statement on Sunday calling a report published by Al-Masry Al-Youm “unprofessional” and asserting that it would take legal action against the privately owned newspaper.

This is the latest in a series of altercations between major newspapers and the security apparatus that have resulted in either the arrest of journalists or confiscation of issues.

The report in question, titled, “Police martyrs and sins: Holes in the uniform of the police,” is a seven-paged spread documenting recent police violations and individual cases against policemen. The report also highlights policemen who were killed in action, acknowledging their sacrifices. 

In the statement, published on its official Facebook page, the Interior Ministry said that the paper wrote the report in retaliation for the referral of its journalist, Yousry al- Badry, and former editor-in-chief to prosecution last December.

Badry, who is the editor of the report in question, told Mada Masr that the ministry’s accusations are unfair and inaccurate.

“This is an attempt to terrorize the media. It’s sending a message to journalists that they either print what the ministry wants or they may be prosecuted,” Badry said.

He explained that the report is the result of teamwork by a number of journalists and is part of a series following rights violations and seeking to hold state institutions to account. Monitoring the media falls outside of the ministry’s jurisdiction, he added.

Badry was referred to prosecution in December, following a report by national security over a story he published on the suicide bomber who carried out an attack on the Ministry of Interior in Daqahlia. 

Last week, a journalist at Al-Dostour newspaper was arrested on claims he had waged a campaign against the Ministry of Interior. Privately owned Al-Watan newspaper was forced to remove a report on tax evasion by state institutions from publication last month, and in October, Al-Masry Al-Youm was forced to rescind an interview with a security agent.

These altercations appear to be a far cry from the united front presented by mainstream newspapers and the state in October, when the editors of all Egypt’s major newspapers issued a statement of support for the government in its “war on terrorism” and denounced anyone who questions state institutions, including the police, military and judiciary.  Al-Dostour, Al-Masry Al-Youm and Al-Watan were among the signatories.

Board member of the Journalists Syndicate, Khaled al-Balshy, condemned the ministry’s statement on his Facebook page, asserting that it’s a prime example of oppression and attempts to limit freedoms.

“The executive branch suing journalists is the new method of limiting freedoms and has to be stopped right away,” he said, asserting that several ministries have used this tactic in recent months.