Egypt crisis: Respect freedom of expression, says WACC

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> News Release

**Egypt crisis: Respect freedom of expression, says WACC**

As political protests continue to escalate in Egypt, the World
Association for Christian Communication (WACC) is calling on Egyptian
authorities to respect freedom of expression and allow its citizens
full access to all means of communication, particularly internet and
social media. WACC is also condemning violence against journalists
covering the demonstrations.

According to media reports, Internet and phone services in the country
have been disrupted to stop protesters from expressing their political
opinions.

"The government shut down the Internet to keep us from telling the
world about whatâ??s really happening here," says Sherif Gomaa, a
café employee protesting in downtown Cairo, in a report published by
Inter Press Service (IPS) <http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54273
. The report was dictated on a landline phone from Cairo to the IPS
office in London.

And according to the BBC

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12311007
, Internet and phone services - both mobile and landline - have been
severely disrupted, although protesters are using proxies to work
around the restrictions.

â??The protests took place despite widespread disruptions to internet
and mobile-phone connections from early on Friday. Mobile operator
Vodafone Egypt said in a statement: All mobile operators in Egypt have
been instructed to suspend services in selected areas. Under Egyptian
legislation the authorities have the right to issue such an order and
we are obliged to comply with itâ??, reports the BBC.

In a news alert released yesterday, January 27, by International
Freedom of Expression Exchange
<http://www.ifex.org/egypt/2011/01/27/violence_against_journalists/

(IFEX

<http://www.ifex.org/egypt/2011/01/27/violence_against_journalists/
) <http://www.ifex.org/egypt/2011/01/27/violence_against_journalists/
, plainclothes and uniformed security personnel have beaten at least
10 journalists and detained others. Egyptian authorities have also
shut down the websites of two popular independent newspapers and a
number of social media sites, says IFEX.

WACC General Secretary, the Rev. Karin Achtelstetter, said, â??In
solidarity with members and partners, journalists and the general
public, WACC is urging for immediate end of all forms of media
censorship and violence against journalists and for an immediate
restoration of the right to peaceful expression of opinion.â??

Achtelstetter underscored communication as fundamental in conflict
resolution and emphasized that lack of communication can fuel tense
situations.

The protests began on Tuesday after an Internet campaign called for a
national "Day of Anger" through anti-government protests, reports
IFEX, adding that the demonstrations are the largest since the January
1977 bread riots.

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