Censorious governments are abusing “fake news” laws
The pandemic is giving them an excuse to gag reporters
DURING HIS final days Mohamed Monir, an Egyptian journalist, was so short of breath he could barely speak. In a video recorded in July last year, as his final hours approached, he begged for oxygen. He died in a hospital isolation unit after contracting covid-19 in prison while awaiting trial. He had been arrested the previous month after, among other things, writing an article lambasting the Egyptian government’s response to the pandemic. He was charged with spreading false news, misusing social media and joining a terrorist group.
This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Inconvenient truths”
International February 13th 2021
From the February 13th 2021 edition
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