Egyptian journalist Kaswaa El-Khelaly,
The live broadcast of several episodes of Kaswaa’s TV show – titled In the Evening with Kuswah and aired on CBC TV -- have repeatedly been deleted from social media, while her accounts have also been shuttered due to the coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza.
In a statement on Friday, Egypt's Supreme Council for Media Regulations (SCMR) expressed its solidarity with Kaswaa, noting that she has been the target of a coordinated defamation campaign.
The campaign has involved selectively editing clips from her program in an attempt to turn global public opinion against her, the SCMR pointed out.
Such acts resulted in Kaswaa facing "threats of violence and personal assaults," read the SCMR’s statement.
The council reaffirmed its unwavering support for Kaswaa and Egypt's media's steadfast stance on the war in Gaza.
It also urged adherence to international norms, specifically Article 19 of the UN's International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of opinion, expression, and the free flow of information across borders.
The United Media Services (UMS) group, the country’s top media conglomerate that oversees the CBC channel, expressed its strong condemnation of the campaigns targeting Kaswaa.
In a statement earlier today, the UMS asserted that it will pursue all legal measures necessary to protect Kaswaa and defend the rights of all journalists and media professionals.
The group urged all journalists and media professionals around the world to stand in solidarity with Kaswaa and confront any attempts to silence free voices.
"Freedom of the press is a cornerstone in defending the truth and achieving justice," read the statement.
Kaswaa said on Friday that she has been subjected to a systematic terror campaign since the start of the Israeli war by American pressure groups.
According to Kaswaa, Richard Epstein, a US politician and a prominent figure in pro-Israel American lobbying groups, wrote an article, declaring his rejection of the Egyptian position that refuses to displace the Palestinians.
He also declared his rejection of Kaswaa's program, using excerpts from her TV program and explicitly naming her as one of the most prominent Egyptian journalists supporting the Palestinian people, while urging the US to "protect Israel from all of these."
In addition, the US-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) - known for its pro-Israel bias, followed suit and clipped parts of her TV program, airing them on its television with a suspicious translation, she noted.
The MEMRI’s website also described Kaswaa's TV episodes as a speech of “hatred of Israel and racism against Zionism," Kaswaa added.
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