Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry denies filing complaint against journalist

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has denied that its minister filed a legal complaint against a journalist whose recent stories examined alleged antiquities thefts, as the Journalists’ Syndicate accused security officials of violating press-law procedures during his detention.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities denies reports of filing a complaint against a journalist,” the ministry said Sunday in a statement on Facebook.

The ministry condemned “rumors circulating on social media” that the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office against Mohamed Taher, a journalist with the Al-Akhbar Al-Masai newspaper.

Khaled Elbalshy, the head of the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate, had shared on social media that Taher was summoned Friday by the Cyber Investigations Unit, a division of the Ministry of Interior that investigates online activity including alleged false news, defamation and violations of the 2018 Cybercrime Law.

Elbalshy said Taher had been invited “for a chat” under the false pretenses and was instead surprised that an official complaint had been filed against him by an assistant minister.  

The Journalists’ Syndicate is the country’s official press union and the only body legally empowered to represent professional journalists. It monitors press-freedom violations, provides legal counsel and must be notified before any journalist is questioned or detained under Egyptian press law.

Elbalshy said Taher was questioned without a lawyer or prior notice to the syndicate, bypassing legal requirements for representation, and his phone was searched without a warrant. He was then transported to prosecutors in a police van.

Taher, the syndicate head noted, had recently broken the news of the theft of the Pharaonic gold bracelet from Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, and he has previously “exposed many incidents involving the ministry.”

Local outlets including Mada Masr and Darb reported that the complaint, filed by Assistant Minister Ahmed Khamis, accuses Taher of publishing false news and defamation in connection with Facebook posts about the stolen bracelet.

“What is happening today to our colleague Mohamed Taher undermines any effort and any attempt at reform, and undermines every effort made in the area of media development,” Elbalshy said.

Taher has since been released on bail of about $42, Elbalshy said.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in its statement Sunday said that Fathy has since called Elbalshy to “express his disgust at the circulation of this fake news” and asserted that the accusations were “baseless” and that the ministry took no actions against a journalist.

“The Ministry affirms its full respect for freedom of the press and the public's right to know, using appropriate journalistic methods and within the bounds of mutual respect, and ensuring the accuracy of news before publication,” the statement reads.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities calls on everyone to exercise caution before circulating news, to refer to official sources, and to avoid causing confusion or spreading false and inaccurate information.”