The new Egyptian Constitution was made official by then-president Mohamed Morsi on December 26, 2012.
Articles 47 and 48 of the Constitution both address media freedom and freedom of expression in Egypt:
Article 47
Citizens have the right to access information, data, statistics, and documents, and to disclose and circulate them. The state guarantees this right. The right is constrained by the inviolability of private life, the rights of others, and exigencies of national security.The law specifies the principles by which public documents are accessed and archived. It determines how information is acquired and complaints against information denials are lodged. It also specifies how accountability for such denials is established.
Article 48
The freedom of journalism, the press, the publishing industry, broadcasting, and other media is guaranteed. Their free and independent message serves society, expressing, forming, and directing public opinion. All this happens within the framework of the essential elements of state and society, the preservation of rights, freedoms, and societal duties, respect for the sanctity of citizens’ private lives, and the requirements of national security. It is forbidden to censor, terminate, or sequester the media without a court ruling. It is illegal to censor material that the media are putting out. An exception is limited censorship in times of war or public mobilization.
Despite these “guarantees,” there has been little done to protect the rights of journalists in these countries. As has been illustrated in other posts on this blog, journalists in Egypt are in constant fear of being detained or killed, despite the Egyptian Constitution promising them safety and freedom to practice their craft.
Of course, one could argue that restricting these rights is a necessity with the constant turmoil that is going on in the country. The Egyptian government may view the restriction of what the media can and cannot put out as a necessary evil to keep the country safe.
What do you think? Should the government restrict the rights of the media during such a hectic/dangerous time in Egypt, or should it stay true to the Constitution and let the media report on whatever they want?
Sources: http://niviensaleh.info/constitution-egypt-2012-translation/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Egypt