Egypt getting more radical against opposition: Activist

Press TV has interviewed Hazem Salem, an activist and political commentator in Cairo, about a court in Egypt handing down preliminary death sentence to three journalists on espionage charges.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Looking at this situation, it appears that it continues to get worse, the clamp down, in general the crackdown, and now we see even three journalists were actually sentenced, very tough sentencing that is taking place. I want to talk about this continued crackdown and the overall affect that is having on Egyptian society?

Salem: Well the fact is that this is sending a message everywhere about different things at different levels. It is sending a message to journalists that journalism in Egypt is being disciplined by the regime, journalism is being harassed by the regime and it goes to the extent of allowing journalists to be receiving death sentences, bearing in mind that the judiciary in Egypt is highly politicized.

So this is an answer to the revolt by the journalists some weeks ago against the militant invasion of the Ministry of Interior into the syndicate. It is also sending a message to Qatar that the relations between Egypt and Qatar is tense because Qatar has different positions especially regarding the Brotherhood and the regime of Morsi and Qatar has had much different opinions from Saudi Arabia about the Brotherhood and about the regime of Morsi. 

So it is also sending a message of sort of solidarity with the position of Saudi Arabia against the Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia felt much alarmed against the Brotherhood when they came to office. It is sending a message to the whole Egyptian society that there will be very harsh sentencing to whomever opposes the regime and it sends of course a message to the Brotherhood that there will be more escalation and that there is no room for any talks or negotiations or reconciliation between the regime and the Brotherhood.

So the regime is getting more or less hawkish against Qatar, against the Brotherhood and against the journalists and it is a sign of intimidation to the whole Egyptian society.

Press TV: Ramifications in your perspective of these types of very tough policies obviously against free speech and also journalism?

Salem: Well the fact is the regime has been taking huge steps into the unilateral decision making which is being guarded so as there will be no criticism, whatsoever. One of them was handing over two islands which was a very sensitive issue to Saudi Arabia and the journalists are supposed to be silenced about that. There is also the Ministry of Interior escalation against the journalists and there is an attempt to silence that. Within these two brackets there has been more revived opposition by different groups in the society including the Muslim Brotherhood and this is another verdict that puts the Brotherhood cornered.

There is even a woman in the list of the defendants who are supposed to be approved by the mufti for execution and this is also another step forward in intimidation of women activists after the first woman who was sentenced to death, Sondos Asem. So the regime is getting more and more radical against opposition.  

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