In 2007, Sheik Tantawi of al Azhar University, Egypt's highest religious authority and closely allied to the regime, issued a fatwa declaring that a journalist filing an incorrect report deserved to be lashed eighty times.
The edict came amid a broader and heavy-handed press crackdown, described by one enraged blogger as "nothing short of a massacre of Egypt's independent press," with editors of four independent newspapers arrested, sentenced and fined. The justification? They were fou...
Enjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a member for as low as €1,75 per week.
Already a member? Login