Egypt: Government’s decision to expel Guardian journalist is an attack on press freedom

Photo: The Guardian

EGYPT, Cairo, March 28, 2020 -- Guardian's Cairo correspondent Ruth Michaelson has been forced by Egyptain authorities to leave the country following her COVID-19 reporting. Her press accreditation has also been revoked, which now prevents her from working in the country. This arbitrary move by the government in Egypt is unacceptable. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands authorities in Cairo to reconsider their decision and allow Ruth to work freely.

Ruth had recently reported on a scientific study by infectious disease specialists from the University of Toronto which stated that Egypt possibly had more coronavirus cases than it was officially quoting. Her report also utilized information from public health data and news stories indicating a rise in rates of COVID-19 cases. However, it agitated authorities in Egypt that later resorted to expelling her from the country. As of March 26, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Egypt were 39 and the death of three people was also reported.

Ruth has been living and reporting from Egypt since 2014. After Egypt rebuked her report and revoked her press credentials, Western diplomats advised Ruth that the security services of the country wanted her to leave immediately.

The situation in which Ruth has been victimized by Egyptian authorities is worrying. She was only doing her job of reporting facts and information regarding the coronavirus outbreak in the country. As a journalist it is her job to do so and no authority has the right to suppress such crucial information related to a threatening health crisis.

CFWIJ got in touch with Ruth to understand her thoughts and concerns following her exit from Egypt.

“This incident is clearly about the profound lack of press freedom in Egypt, especially concerning at the time of a pandemic. Forcing Egyptian journalists as well as the foreign press based in the country to fear citing scientific research on the possible spread of COVID-19 endangers the Egyptian public. There is clear public interest in information on the spread of COVID-19, and this need not be a political or even a nationalist issue,” she said.

Ruth added that by punishing journalists, the Egyptian authorities are preventing the spread of vital public health information that enables citizens to work together to counter this pandemic. “This disease is dangerous, and a lack of information only adds to the risks,” Ruth stated.

Ruth’s story was published on March 15, after which she was summoned for a three-and-a-half-hour long meeting with Egyptian officials and was accused of “misreporting and spreading panic” using an “unreliable study”. As a result, Ruth’s press accreditation was revoked on March 17. She was then informed by British diplomatic officials and the SIS to meet Egypt’s visa issuance authority. Another journalist from the New York Times was also given a warning over tweets quoting the same study.

Despite travel bans due to the coronavirus outbreak and panic surrounding this global health crisis among tourists in Egypt, Ruth managed to leave the country. She got on a flight with stranded tourists and foriegn nationals to Germany, following her German citizenship. Ruth was the only full-time British correspondent in a north African country after Times correspondent Bel Trew was threatened with a military trial and expelled from the country in March 2018.

It is concerning that even during these testing times across the world, journalists are being persecuted for merely doing their jobs. We are worried that this trend of suppressing information and the subsequent oppression of the press will intensify the ongoing health crisis, especially in countries that are already grappling with freedom of speech.

It is the time to work in unison with journalists, who are at the front line as essential services personnel, rather than threatening and expelling them for their work. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands that Egyptian authorities reconsider their decision and allow Ruth to continue working as a foreign correspondent in Cairo.