Yahia Qalash, the head of the Egyptian press union, and two others have been sentenced to two years in prison, and must also pay a 10,000 Egyptian pound fine. They were charged with harboring wanted journalists.
This decision comes after months of deliberation and protest. The two journalists were wanted over protesting the President’s decision to transfer sovereignty of two Egyptian islands. Since then, journalists all over Egypt have been staging protests, demanding a public apology and the interior minister’s resignation. However instead, the three men now sentenced were detained and questioned.
If this is the case, how free is the press in Egypt? If there is no freedom of press or speech, has Egypt really completed their transition to democracy?
http://www.wsj.com/articles/head-of-egyptian-press-union-gets-two-years-in-prison-1479563598
No, they haven’t. The freedom of speech and press are essential to a democracy. Not only is it a freedom that belongs to the people. It also is what fuels the rest of the freedoms that a democracy has.
Unfortunately, much of the world has very poor insurance of freedom of speech. It’s clear that democracy is a sham in those countries. Russia and a few countries in the Middle East come to mind. It’s always the same person and the same party in power if there is no option for dissenting opinions. In fact, even with the increased divisiveness of American political discussion, protection of our freedom of speech and religion needs severe attention.
Egypt never really got a chance to complete its transition into democracy. So this latest assault on democratic values comes as no surprise. The government there has long persecuted journalists and suppressed other parties. I think it is interesting to see that the journalists are protesting and calling for the resignation of the interior minister. That to me suggests that democratic values within that governmental and public system are not entirely removed. That they are able to do so still suggests the spark of democracy like it was before.
I don’t think Egypt has fully transitioned into a democracy. Unfortunately, most political transitions are rocky and require a lot of time to fully make the adjustment. In Egypt’s case, they are better off than they were, but they still have a long way to come. However, the journalists were able to protest back and call for the resignation of the minister, so there is till a fair amount of democracy.
Imprisoning citizens for their dissenting opinions is not the mark of a free democracy. Goes back to the adage: “When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.” ~Thomas Jefferson