As Egypt Extends Shawkan Jailing, Akhbar El Youm Absent, UN Censorship

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 10 -- As the Egyptian government steps up its crackdown on the media, expelling Liliane Daoud after arresting Yahia Galash, the Sisi-supporting media has stayed quiet or participated. This now includes the case of photo-journalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid Shawkan, in jail without charge for three years.

This includes Akhbar Elyom, the publication to which the UN of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is giving the long time shared office space of Inner City Press, from which Ban's Under Secretary General for Public Information Cristina Gallach  evicted Inner City Press on April 14 (see New York Times of May 14, here).

Sanaa Youssef and Akhbar El Yom don't even arguably comply with the UN's stated rules: she never came to the UN three days a week in recent years, is only being used to censor Inner City Press. This week Ban's Media Accreditation appeared to service Akhbar al Youm's Sanaa Youssef, being given the Press office as a former head of the Ban-friendly UN Correspondents Association who has yet to ask any question of the UN.

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