The Egyptian Parliament is due to debate Monday a bill to rescind an article in the law that allows the nation's judges to impose news blackouts in certain court cases. The bill, presented by independent MP Mohssen Radi, seeks to counter a view generally held by the nation's judges that media coverage of high-profile court cases, may influence the outcome of these trials . "Media shouldn't be prevented from covering court trials," Radi said. "The public have a constitutional right to know what happens in these trials," he told The Egyptian Gazette in an interview. Radi says he has seen a rising number of news blackouts imposed on several court hearings, including parts of the ongoing trial of business tycoon Hisham Talaat Moustafa, who is accused of inciting the murder of a Lebanese singer in Dubai, and decided to act. Article 199 of the Egyptian Constitution says court hearings should be open for the public. But Radi says together with violating the constitution, article 190 of the Penal Code, which gives judges the right to impose news blackouts, serves the interests of a particular group of people both in the Government and in this country's business community. "News blackouts are only imposed in court cases that involve either politicians or businessmen," Radi said. "This means that the Government doesn't want the public to get to know the extent of the corruption of these people," he added. Apart from violating the right of media to tell, news blackouts violate the right of the public to know, some observers say. According to article 190 of the Penal Code, a journalist who breaks news blackouts in court cases is sentenced up to one year in jail and fined LE5,000 ($917), an enormous amount of money for most of the nation's journalists. Radi, a journalist himself, says he will work hard until legislation aiming at muting the media is kept away. "The Government should know that it can be more credible if it acts openly," Radi said. "By preventing the media from covering sensitive court trials, the Government gives people the impression that it sanctions corruption," he added. Despite this, Radi is not optimistic about the prospects of his bill. "Media will be kept away from the courts even more in the future given the too many corruption charges against several Government figures at present."
