Egypt to question Al Jazeera workers for violating law

CAIRO - 14 July 2017: Journalists and employees who worked for Al Jazeera and violated Egyptian law will be questioned, according to a report released by the cabinet Information and Decision Support Center Thursday.

“The Egyptian state is a ‘state of law,’ and anyone who proves to have violated its regulations while working the Qatari channel will be legally questioned,” the statement read, adding that any Al Jazeera employees who did not violate the law “will not be questioned for any reason.”

The report added that the government is working on two different tracks regarding the Qatari crisis and its affiliated media outlets. The first track is coordinating with “objective media platforms” that clarify the truth and defend the country. The second is to work closely with Arab states to close Al Jazeera channel, one of the demands Arab countries have made of Qatar after severing ties with the small Arab Gulf state.

According to the official report, Egypt has filed a complaint against Qatar before the United Nations Security Council, labeling the oil-rich country a “terrorism supporting state.” The complaint could later be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

On June 22, two former Al Jazeera journalists, Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Mohamed Fawzy held a press conference titled “Al Jazeera on Trial” to reveal Doha’s foreign agenda in the region.

They accused the Qatari network of supporting terrorist organizations with money and broadcasting equipment. Fawzy slammed the network for “betraying them” as the channel did not inform its employees that their work in Egypt was illegal.

He added that the Al Jazeera network “was not only biased to terrorist organizations, but it also provided them with cameras, money and broadcasting equipment, in contradiction to the concepts of fair press, citizen journalism, and Egyptian laws.”

During the conference, Fawzy said he worked as a photojournalist for more than two decades, during which he covered most important events of the world, adding: “I have never thought of publishing false or biased news.”

On July 12, the Emirati foreign ministry published a 4:50 minute video including parts of different interviews and talk shows considered to be evidence that the channel provided a platform for guests “internationally known as terrorists.”

Most of the guests had served time in jail for their involvement in terrorist attacks or for being members of armed groups. Some of those groups include Egyptian Sheikh Youssef Al Qaradawi, Emir of the Al-Nusra Front Abu Mohammad al Julani and Hezbollah leader Samir Al Kentar.

The official video identified Al Jazeera as a “platform for violence and hate speech.”

The Qatari-owned channel was also called out during the 48th session of the Council of Arab Information Ministers, held in the Arab League headquarters in Cairo Wednesday. Bahraini Minister of Information Affairs Ali bin Mohammed al-Rumaihi said during his speech at the session “Qatar has taken the terrorism side on a regular basis, and that it is not following any of the media ethics.”

“They are insisting on broadcasting rumors and lies. Arab security demands us to be firm regarding what is broadcast in our channels, there is no such thing as absolute freedom anywhere around the world,” Rumaihi said, adding that “Al Jazeera made no exceptions. They insulted everyone, the Arab armies, countries and even the Arab League; this is not freedom.”

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammed Qarqash sent the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid bin Ra'ad a letter on Wednesday in response to the previous remarks regarding the Arab governments’ demands for closing Al Jazeera channel. “Freedom of speech can’t be used in justification and protection of the hateful thoughts and speeches,” Qarqash said in his letter.

Qatar’s relations with several Arab and Gulf states have been strained since May 24 when its state-run news agency reported Sheikh Tamim bin Hammad Al-Thani’s statements regarding Gulf foreign policy with Iran as “unwise.” The Qatari government later claimed the statement was never made and the news agency had been hacked.

On June 5, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar, hurling allegations that the state supports terrorism. Ports and airspace were cut off to Qatari vessels.

On June 6, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Ahmad Al-Sabah started a tour that included Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar in an attempt to mediate between the three countries; the attempt was unsuccessful.

A list of 13 demands was given to Doha’s government by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain for reconciliation which includes the closing of Al Jazeera. Qatar’s response was described as “negative” by the four countries’ foreign ministers, who released a joint statement from a summit held in Cairo on July 5.