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Oct 24, 2014
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Egyptian Journalist Hafez Al-Mirazi: The Government Muzzles the Press in Egypt

#4640 | 01:58
Source: Dream TV (Egypt)

In a TV interview, Egyptian journalist Hafez Al-Mirazi said: "Journalists are silenced in Egypt through intimidation or harassment" by "bullies in the media and on the street."


Following are excerpts from the interview, which aired on the Egyptian Dream2 TV channel on October 24, 2014.


Interviewer: In two meetings – one with the president and the other with the prime minister – the general situation in Egypt was discussed, and the journalists were told: "We are at war, and you play a very important role. We do not muzzle the press. We do not tell you what to say or do, but please be aware of the nature of the threats…"


Hafez Al-Mirazi: Are you trying to tell me that there is no muzzling of the press in Egypt?


Interviewer: They said it, not me.


Hafez Al-Mirazi: But do you believe that there is no muzzling of the press in Egypt? What happened with Bassem Youssef did not constitute muzzling of the press?


Interviewer: Who is the interviewer and who is the guest here?


Hafez Al-Mirazi: Journalists are silenced in Egypt through intimidation or harassment. They are intimidated by bullies in the media and on the street.


Interviewer: But people can say that the president did not give orders to fire anyone. He did not interfere…


Hafez Al-Mirazi: Nevertheless… It does not have to be the president himself. The deification of the president… Let me give you an example. I was annoyed by something today. I met President Al-Sisi when he was a member of SCAF, and he left a very positive impression on me back then, but we must no repeat the mistakes of the past. After we create the idol, we start crying: "What have we done to ourselves?"


[…]

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