Egypt's Journalists Syndicate has welcomed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's recent call for greater access to information and freedom of expression, urging the government to translate the pledge into concrete legislative reforms that end long-standing restrictions on press freedom.
The syndicate's board on Tuesday issued a statement endorsing remarks made by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during a Sunday meeting with heads of Egypt's state-owned media institutions. During the meeting, El-Sisi stressed the need to provide accurate information to the public, especially during crises that attract widespread attention, to prevent both exaggeration and underreporting.
In response, the Journalists Syndicate announced the formation of a committee to follow up on recommendations from its sixth General Conference, held in December. The committee’s priorities will be to finalize a long-delayed draft law on the free circulation of information and to improve journalists' economic conditions by revising the wage framework for media professionals.
In line with President El-Sisi's directive to develop a comprehensive roadmap for media reform, the Journalists Syndicate called for urgent legal amendments to lift restrictions on journalism.
It also urged the formation of a joint committee of media unions and regulatory bodies to chart this roadmap, with a key task of coordinating a conference on advancing press freedom and dismantling legislative barriers.
Key among the syndicate's demands is amending Article 12 of the 2018 Press and Media Regulation Law, which currently requires journalists to obtain separate permits for field reporting, public events, and photography. Citing constitutional guarantees, the syndicate wants its membership card alone to constitute a valid work permit for all such activities.
The board also called for broader changes to the press and media regulation framework to ensure institutional independence and safeguard freedom of expression.
The Syndicate urged Parliament to complete long-overdue legislation aligned with Egypt's 2014 Constitution, including laws that guarantee access to information and abolish prison sentences in publication and publicity cases.
The urgency of this call is underscored by cases like that of Ashraf Omar's, a cartoonist for Al Manassa, who has been held in pre-trial detention since July 22, 2024. His arrest highlights the legal and institutional risks faced by media workers, despite official pledges of reform.
Over 20 journalists are currently imprisoned in Egypt, most held in prolonged pre-trial detention. Some have spent years behind bars without formal charges, despite ongoing calls for their release.
In a related effort, the Syndicate is also drafting a new code of professional conduct and updating its press charter to reflect current media challenges. It plans to launch a series of workshops and seminars to train and empower young journalists.
In May, Syndicate head Khaled Elbalshy announced a campaign to amend Article 12 of the Press Law, aiming to abolish permit requirements for field coverage and enshrine the Syndicate ID card as the sole credential needed to practice journalism legally.
The law has drawn criticism since its passage, with journalists and rights groups arguing that it restricts reporting and grants broad powers to authorities to prevent coverage.
According to a 2018 study by the Egyptian Observatory for Journalism and Media, authorities committed 218 violations against journalists that year alone. The most frequent abuse, the report found, was preventing coverage, which accounted for 30% of incidents.
In March of 2024, journalist Rana Mamdouh was detained for 12 hours in Ras El-Hekma, where she had been working on an investigative story without a government permit. She was released on bail of 5,000 Egyptian pounds (around $102).
