Hamas confirmed they had moved to close three media offices in the Gaza Strip as they investigate claims of false reporting Thursday.
The internationally-designate terrorist Gaza rulers temporarily closed production of Saudi Arabian-owned Al Arabiya television station and Palestinian news agency Maan, apparently over a series of highly negative stories about the administration in recent days, in connection with the ousting of close ally Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in Egyptm whislt Gaza-based production company Lens was closed for “collaboration with Zionist media”.
A Lens employee confirmed the company had been contacted by Israel-based news channel for reporting.
Confirming the reports, government spokesman Ehab Ghsain said that "the attorney general received complaints, including from the Ministry of Information, that Al Arabiya and Maan reported false news, fabrications and lies,” although did not specify what fabrications the stories contained.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian state news agency reported Friday authorities had detained former President Mohammed Morsi for 15 days on suspicion of colluding with Hamas as well as killing soldiers. The military assumed interim leadership of the country shortly after Morsi’s first anniversary in office as Egypt’s first democratically elected leader. Amid widespread protests over his style of governing, the army had issued an ultimatum calling on the President to acknowledge the protesters’ demands, ousting him on July 3 when he failed to cede to the edict.
Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood party dismissed the charges against him however, insisting “they are not taken seriously at all”. Of Morsi’s continued detention at the headquarters of the Republican Guard in Cairo, party spokesman Gehad El-Haddad added: “We are continuing our protests on the streets. In fact we believe that more people will realize what this regime really represents - a return of the old state of Mubarak, with brute force.”
Investigating judge Hassan Samir is understood to have interrogated Morsi over crimes including arson, destruction of prison records and "collaboration with Hamas to undertake aggressive acts in the country, attacking police facilities, officers and soldiers”. He is also accused of “killing some prisoners, officers and soldiers deliberately and with prior intent” as well as kidnapping members of the military.
Europe’s foreign ministers issued a united call for Morsi’s release from political detention, at a meeting of the foreign affairs council in Brussels Monday, as they insisted the stalled transitioning Arab Spring state’s key priority must be prompt “free and fair elections”.
The council expressed its concerns over the army’s intentions Monday, calling on it to step down from power and acknowledge that they “should not play a political role in a democracy”. “They must accept and respect the constitutional authority of civilian power as a basic principle of democratic governance. It is now of utmost importance that Egypt embarks on a transition, allowing a transfer of power to a civilian-led and democratically elected government,” continued the conclusions released following the meeting of foreign representatives of all 28 EU member states.
The EU and international community in general had previously come under fire by close Morsi allies the Turkish administration, who criticised their apparent reticence in declaring the former Islamist leader’s ousting a military coup.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton who chaired Monday’s crucial council meeting embarked on a one-day visit to Cairo last Wednesday where she met with members of the interim government in an effort to help propel the country’s democratic future. Deflecting criticism of the EU’s perceived inefficacy in response to the crisis, she broke widespread international silence on the issue of Morsi’s reported detention by the military as she called for his release along with all “political prisoners”.
Conflicting rallies of pro-Morsi and pro-military supporters are scheduled to take place in the Egyptian capital Friday night, amid fears of further instances of violence. Emergency response services are on high alert in Egypt and more than 200 ambulances were placed on-call in Cairo to take the injured to hospitals in the capital. Egyptian army Commander-in-Chief and Defense Minister Abdul Fattah al-Sisi called upon citizens to demonstrate in support of the army and its war on terror. The Egyptian army issued a warning Thursday night to the Muslim Brotherhood with the title, “Last Chance for Supporters of President Morsi to Halt the Protest,” in which it said that the army would take harsh actions against those that advanced violence.
The French foreign ministry meanwhile expressed its “deep concern” at recent developments in the post-Arab Spring State head of the expected demonstrations.
''In the difficult period facing the country, it is important that nothing is done to fuel tensions or lead to violence. France calls on all actors in the transition and all accountable forces to work for consensus dialogue. All must work towards a political process leading to the early establishment of democratically elected institutions, in accordance with commitments. It is important that the political transition takes place with respect for human rights, the rule of law and pluralism by allowing the participation of all political forces and sensibilities. This implies that the right to peaceful protest is ensured and respected, and arbitrary arrests are avoided as is the use of and incitement to violence,” read the official statement.