In first show of new-found legislative authority, president issues law ending temporary detention for 'publication offences'; Al-Dostour's Islam Afify expected to be released imminently Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Thursday evening issued a new law cancelling the Mubarak-era practice of detaining journalists for so-called 'publication offences,' including the charge of "offending the president of the republic." The move means that Al-Dostour Editor-in-Chief Islam Afify – recently detained on charges of publishing false information about Morsi – will be released imminently. According to local media reports, Egypt's public prosecutor has already ordered Afifi's release from detention. Morsi spokesman Yasser Ali said the move represents the president's first use of his legislative authority, which Morsi took from Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces earlier this month by way of a Constitutional Declaration.
