As elections draw near, Egypt’s media faces further restrictions

Egypt’s Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadek has instructed his staff to monitor news and social media outlets and take legal action against those deemed to be "undermining the country's security."

Branding them "forces of evil," Sadek accused media outlets of spreading false news “to disturb the public order and terrorize society.” The term "evil forces" was used by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in January to refer to political opponents who had called for a boycott of the March 26-28 presidential election. Sadek 's comments, meanwhile, appeared directed at foreign media, which unlike most Egyptian mainstream outlets have not been toeing the official government line.

The call on prosecutors to punish government critics came against the backdrop of a government dispute with the BBC over a damning report by the public service broadcaster highlighting alleged torture and enforced disappearance cases in Egypt. The report, titled "The Shadow over Egypt" and broadcast Feb. 23, has been slammed by the government as "lies and false allegations." This came after a mother told the BBC that her daughter Zuebeida had been "forcibly disappeared"; however, the young woman then appeared on a talk show on the privately owned Egyptian ONTV to deny her mother's claim.

Zubeida's mother, whose name is Mona Mahmoud Mohamed, has since been ordered detained for 15 days pending trial on charges of "spreading false news" and "belonging to an outlawed group," in reference to the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood.