London – June 28, 2016
(Ikshef) – In a new attack on freedom of the press in Egypt, authorities decided on Monday evening June 27 to deport Lebanese TV host Lilian Daoud after the termination of contract abnormally in ON TV channel, which changed hands recently from businessman Naguib Sawiris to businessman Ahmed Abu Hashima, the same day, security forces assaulted three journalists who were doing their duty to cover the demonstrations of high school students.
Ikshef confirms that this new attack comes in the context of a broad crackdown to suppress freedom of the press in Egypt and turn them into mere mouthpieces propaganda for the ruling regime, and to prevent any critical or independent voices from appearing as TV hosts, producers or guests, as well as the prevention of such voices in newspapers. this beside seeking to transfer the ownerships of some media institutions to owners who are closer to the established regime, whether to security or commercial entities.
Ikshef calls upon all Egyptian journalists to move to salvage what remains of their liberty before the Egyptian press is over, and being abandoned by viewers and readers for not offering what attract them to watch or read, and thus newspapers and channels to be closed and journalists laid off.
Ikshef also calls on international human rights organizations concerned with freedom of the press to mobilize their efforts to support Egyptian journalists in their stance against this attack, and to prevent Egyptian authorities from exercising more repressions.
