Rights groups decry Egypt media crackdown

Source: AP-Excite

By SARAH EL DEEB

CAIRO (AP) - Egyptian authorities shut down four Islamist TV stations, banned the Muslim Brotherhood's newspaper and raided the office of Al-Jazeera's Egypt affiliate in crackdown on media considered sympathetic to ousted President Mohammed Morsi, bringing an outcry Thursday from rights groups.

Rights groups said the moves appeared to be an attempt to intimidate pro-Morsi media and shut off their viewpoints.

Among the shuttered stations was the Misr25 channel, run by the Brotherhood. It went off the air Wednesday night just as it was airing pro-Morsi protesters chanting "Down with military rule" after Egypt's military chief announced that Morsi had been removed.

The military's move came after four days of massive anti-Morsi protests demanding the country's first freely elected president step down.

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Egyptians watch Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's announcement on TV at a tea house in Cairo's Zamalek district Wednesday, July 3, 2013. A statement on the Egyptian president's office's Twitter account has quoted Mohammed Morsi as calling military measures "a full coup." The denouncement was posted shortly after the Egyptian military announced it was ousting Morsi, who was Egypt's first freely elected leader but drew ire with his Islamist leanings. The military says it has replaced him with the chief justice of the Supreme constitutional Court, called for early presidential election and suspended the Islamist-backed constitution. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)