Egypt's National Media Authority Suspends Cooperation With BBC Over Controversial Report

Ahram Online
Tuesday 27 Feb 2018

Egypt's National Media Authority said on Tuesday that it will suspend cooperation with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over a recent report on the country's human right records that Egyptian officials say contained "lies and allegations," state news agency MENA reported.

The decision by the authority's head Hussein Zein involves suspending all cooperation with the BBC until further notice, including protocols and agreements.

The decision comes a few days after the BBC published a documentary and a report on what it said were cases of forced disappearances and torture carried out by Egyptian security forces.

A young Egyptian woman alleged to have been "forcibly disappeared" in Egypt, according to the extensive BBC news story, was later interviewed by a prominent Egyptian TV host on Monday evening, refuting claims that she had been kidnapped and tortured by authorities.

The National Media Authority is a regulatory body of state-owned media outlets that was established in 2016 upon a decree by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

Earlier on Tuesday, Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) called on Egyptian officials and prominent individuals to boycott the BBC after the report – which it said involved "errors, professional violations and allegations" about the situation in Egypt – until the public broadcaster issues an official apology.