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.
Photo source: WCC

"The government shut down the Internet to keep us from telling the world about what’s really happening here," says Sherif Gomaa, a café employee protesting in downtown Cairo, in a report published by Inter Press Service (IPS). The report was dictated on a landline phone from Cairo to the IPS office in London.

And according to the BBC, Internet and phone services - both mobile and landline - have been severely disrupted, although protesters are using proxies to work around the restrictions.

“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 it”, reports the BBC.

In a news alert released yesterday, January 27, by International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), 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, “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.”

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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