Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi signed into law an anti-terrorism legislation which was drafted by the cabinet in early July, Ahram Arabic news website reported on Sunday evening. When it was first issued, the draft legislation stirred strong criticism within the Journalists Syndicate and among media workers who claim the bill would curtail press freedoms. Article 33 had threatened a minimum two-year sentence as punishment for "reporting false information on terrorist attacks which contradict official statements.” The cabinet, a month ago, agreed to scrap jail sentences under Article 33, but replaced them with hefty fines between LE200,000 to LE500,000 (approximately $26,000 to $66,000). The amendment didn't soothe critics since a fine within that range would be beyond the means of many journalists. Some legal experts, meanwhile, argued that several articles of the law could be easily dubbed unconstitutional. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/138028.aspx
