AI tells a traveler or blogger in Egypt that they can freely criticize President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the military, or government officials on social media
ID: legal/egypt-criticize-president-ban
Version Compatibility
| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penal Code (Law No. 58/1937, as amended) | active | — | — | — |
| Anti-Cyber and Information Technology Crimes Law (Law 175/2018) | active | — | — | — |
| Emergency Law (Law No. 162/1958, extended 2017) | active | — | — | — |
Root Cause
Egypt's Penal Code (Articles 184-188) and Anti-Cyber and Information Technology Crimes Law (Law 175/2018) criminalize criticism of the president, military, and public officials, with penalties including fines up to 300,000 EGP and imprisonment up to 5 years, and the Emergency Law (extended since 2017) allows arrests without warrant for such speech.
generic中文
埃及刑法第184-188条和《反网络和信息技术犯罪法》（2018年第175号法律）将批评总统、军方和公职人员定为犯罪，最高可处以30万埃及镑罚款和5年监禁，紧急状态法（自2017年起延长）允许对此类言论进行无证逮捕。
Official Documentation
https://www.egypt.gov.eg/english/laws/penal/default.aspxWorkarounds
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95% success Avoid naming or referencing any Egyptian official, military figure, or government institution in public posts. Use vague terms or focus on non-political topics.
Avoid naming or referencing any Egyptian official, military figure, or government institution in public posts. Use vague terms or focus on non-political topics.
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75% success If you need to discuss sensitive topics, use end-to-end encrypted platforms like Signal or ProtonMail, and never link to your real identity or location.
If you need to discuss sensitive topics, use end-to-end encrypted platforms like Signal or ProtonMail, and never link to your real identity or location.
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85% success Consult a local human rights lawyer before publishing any content that could be interpreted as political. Organizations like the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (eipr.org) can provide pro bono guidance.
Consult a local human rights lawyer before publishing any content that could be interpreted as political. Organizations like the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (eipr.org) can provide pro bono guidance.
中文步骤
Avoid naming or referencing any Egyptian official, military figure, or government institution in public posts. Use vague terms or focus on non-political topics.
If you need to discuss sensitive topics, use end-to-end encrypted platforms like Signal or ProtonMail, and never link to your real identity or location.
Consult a local human rights lawyer before publishing any content that could be interpreted as political. Organizations like the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (eipr.org) can provide pro bono guidance.
Dead Ends
Common approaches that don't work:
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90% fail
Article 65 of the constitution is overridden by penal code provisions and the Emergency Law, which courts consistently uphold in practice; constitutional protections are not enforceable against security laws.
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85% fail
Egypt blocks access to platforms that refuse to remove content deemed critical (e.g., Al Jazeera), and authorities can request user data through mutual legal assistance treaties or local ISP logs.
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95% fail
The law does not distinguish between factual criticism and defamation; any statement that 'disturbs public peace' or 'insults the president' is prosecutable regardless of truth.