Qatar – Broadcaster to take legal action against Egypt

AL Jazeera is to take legal action against Egypt’s military-backed government over what the media network says is a “sustained campaign of harassment and intimidation” against its journalists in the country. 

The Qatar-based network says that since deposed president Mohammed Morsi was overthrown last July, a large number of its journalists have been arrested and detained, either without charge or on what it calls politically-motivated charges. 

Al Jazeera’s offices have been raided and closed, equipment confiscated, correspondents deported and its transmission jammed by signals coming from military installations. 

In a statement on 19 July 2013, Al Jazeera said it had instructed London-based lawyers, Carter-Ruck, to take action in international courts and before the United Nations to protect its journalists and their right to report from Egypt. 

“Al Jazeera cannot permit this situation to continue. The right of journalists to report freely in situations of this kind is protected by international law and is reaffirmed by UN Security Council Resolution 1738 (2006),” a spokesperson said. “However, the new regime in Egypt has disregarded this fundamental right and seems determined to silence all independent journalism and reporting in the country, leaving only the voices of its own state-controlled media to be heard,” he added.