• EGYPT
  • November 18, 2012
  • 4 minutes read

Abdel-Maksoud: First Post-Revolution Government Defends Freedoms, Upholds Rule of Law

Abdel-Maksoud: First Post-Revolution Government Defends Freedoms, Upholds Rule of Law

Salah Abdel-Maksoud, Egyptian Minister of Information, denied claims by Dream TV channels that the government is stopped broadcasting of one of the Dream channels.


"The channel was not shut down, only cables connecting the Egyptian Company for Satellites from the studios of the channel in ‘Dreamland’ were disconnected. The note on the channel’s screen proves that broadcasting continues on the channel."

In a press statement, the Minister pointed that Dream channels broadcasting from outside the Media Free Zone caused losses of public money amounting to 150 million Egyptian pounds ($25mil), stressing that such external broadcasting operations violate the law of the Free Media Zone.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with the channel’s opposition to the government’s policies. Many other private TV channels are even more fiercely critical of the government’s performance, yet they continue to work from within Cairo’s Media City. No-one tried to halt their transmission."

The Minister also rejected as false the channel’s claim that there are plans to crack down on freedoms, particularly the media, and its claim that the government is trying to subvert investments.

"Dr. Hisham Qandil’s government does have plans; but those aim to safeguard freedoms, preserve public money, uphold the rule of law, and guarantee equality for all, without discrimination."

The Minister further expressed surprise at what he called "Dream channels’ insistence on broadcasting from outside the Free Media Zone, based on an illegal exemption unlawfully issued by the former Minister of Information – which has wasted tens of millions of pounds a year since 2006".

"I have no quarrel with anyone, but the appropriate action must be taken. The rule of law, preserving public money and the rights of the Egyptian people take precedence over all other considerations.

"President Mohamed Morsi’s policies and his directives to the government are to uphold the rule of law, end all exemptions that waste public money and guarantee justice and equality for all."