Egyptian court forbids criticism of the president

Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court has ruled that all criticism of the Republic’s president is henceforth “forbidden”. The ruling came a day before the first episode of a new series of the renowned satirical TV programme “Al Bernameg”, trailed in advance as “Was that a Revolution or a Coup?” The court’s move sent a signal that the sort of criticism and mockery levelled at ousted President Mohamed Morsi will not be allowed under the coup government.

Judge Mohamed Shehata Sabra read the Court’s ruling: “Throughout history, the Egyptian constitutions were keen to protect the authority of the Republic’s president who serves as the head of the Executive Authority and the country’s supreme ruler. The constitution protects the president both physically and morally, whoever assumes the post.”

According to the court, President Morsi betrayed his role to protect the status of his post when he announced in April that he would not take any legal action against the host of “Al Bernameg”, Bassem Yusuf, or any other person for criticising him, out of respect for freedom of expression and freedom of the media. The same court rejected a suit against Yusuf by Advocate Mahmoud Hasan Abu Al Enein, a Muslim Brotherhood lawyer. “Abu Al Enein did not have any legal status to pursue the legal action,” it claimed.

Meanwhile, Yusuf surprised many when he told Al-Shorouq newspaper, “Interestingly, after weeks of censure and gloating because the show has finally stopped, we are challenged to criticise Al-Sisi and [Interim President] Adly Mansour. If we criticise them, people will think it is not enough and will demand that we go harder against them as we did with Morsi. Well, if they work like Morsi, I will not spare them.” Yusuf’s statement suggested that the satirist may be choosing to ignore the innocent victims of the coup since July 3, the details of whom include 5,000 murdered, 20,000 wounded and 30,000 in detention. Perhaps, say critics, he equates Morsi’s political mistakes with the brutality and crimes against humanity of the coup government. He could also believe that the generals should allow him the same freedom to criticise them as he had when they encouraged him to criticise Morsi. That, if true, is a clear testament to the freedom of expression that he enjoyed during Morsi’s period in office.

The show’s content will reveal whether or not the red lines pushed back by Morsi will be back in place, making such vitriolic criticism of the leadership taboo, and whether it will portray the events since July 3 as a revolution or a coup. Questions are already being raised about the timing of the return of the show to Egypt’s TV screens, with some commentators suggesting that it is part of an effort by the coup leadership to gloss over their crimes and crackdown on civil freedoms, including freedom of expression.