# 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`
- **Domain:** legal
- **Category:** criminal_liability
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 70%

## 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.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| 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 | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Avoid naming or referencing any Egyptian official, military figure, or government institution in public posts. Use vague terms or focus on non-political topics.** (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.
   ```
2. **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.** (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.
   ```
3. **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.** (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.
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — 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. (90% 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. (85% 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. (95% fail)