Egyptian President Drops Legal Complaints Against Journalists

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has ordered that his legal complaints filed against journalists be withdrawn, according to Reuters.

The latest move appears to be an attempt to counter complaints of a crackdown by Morsi, who has also come under criticism for instability in the country which includes sectarian violence, an economic crisis, and the threat of a vote boycott from the opposition in the next round of elections.

Here's a closer look at recent political events in Egypt.

* Morsi is currently seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund during its current economic crisis.

* Egypt has come under criticism from the United States both for the arrests and for recent sectarian violence.

* A human rights lawyer, Gamal Eid, complained that the move was not enough. "It is a half step. It remains for the members of the president's party to stop trying to intimidate journalists," Eid said, according to Reuters.

* Satirist Bassem Youssef, a popular figure in Egypt, is still under arrest as complains against him and other journalists were made by Morsi loyalists.

* The Committee to Protect Journalists released a statement on Wednesday welcoming the announcement. The CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator, Sherif Mansour, said that "This is an encouraging sign at a time when journalists have been targeted and exposed to increasing hostility. President Morsi must now withdraw all complaints against journalists whom his office has accused of either insulting the president or religion."

* A report from the Associated Press indicated that a spokesperson from Morsi's office had claimed that a decision to call off tourist flights from Iran had not come from "any particular groups."

* According to another report from the AP, Egypt has changed the parliamentary elections laws to meet requirements by the Supreme Constitutional Court.

* The opposition has said it will boycott the vote because it has not been consulted in the drafting.

* Egypt's Shura Council, the upper house of the country's parliament, approved the legislation and sent the new law to the Constitutional Court for further review. Morsi has said that he expects the next round of elections will take place in October.

* Recent sectarian violence in the country has led to eight deaths, adding to an already tense political and economic climate.

Shawn Humphrey is a former contributor to The Flint Journal and an amateur Africanist, focusing his personal studies on human rights and political issues on the continent.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egyptian-president-drops-legal-complaints-against-journalists-154900065.html

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