Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ratified on Saturday the law regulating the press and media, one day after ratifications of the National Press Authority law.
The press and media law, which includes regulations for the National Press Authority, National Media Authority, and the Supreme Media Council, were preliminarily approved earlier in June. Since then, controversy has stirred among journalists over the validity of articles of the law.
The laws are published in the official gazette to regulate the work of institutions, press, media outlets, and websites.
Previously, the Press Syndicate was the first to announce its remarks against the law, pointing out several articles, which they believed were not aligned with the constitution which guarantees the freedom of expression, and they were invited to attend discussions of the law.
Following the ratification, prominent journalists and media figures expressed their rejection for the law, expressing fears regarding the future of the press.
There is also the Supreme Media Council and the National Media Authority who regulate the workflow of the press and media in Egypt.
These laws will replace the Law of Institutional Organisation 92 of 2016, which used to regulate the operations of these authorities.
The creation of the three bodies was approved by the parliament in December 2016 and signed as law by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in April.
