Egypt's top state prosecutor has ordered his staff to closely monitor all news and social media outlets and take action against any they deem to be "hurting national interests."
In a statement issued Wednesday, Egypt's Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek said the order comes "in light of recently observed attempts by the 'forces of evil' to undermine the security and safety of the country through publishing lies and fake news through different media outlets and social media."
Prosecutors should take legal action against media outlets that disseminate "false news, statements or rumors" that could instill "terror" in society, hurt the public interest or disrupt peace. Media regulatory bodies must notify prosecutors of violations by media outlets," the statement said.
Sadek's directive is part of a larger government crackdown on the media ahead of scheduled presidential elections next month in which President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is running virtually unopposed.
The U.S.-based journalism watchdog group, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), asked Egypt to "immediately cease their intimidation campaign against independent news outlets, and let journalists report freely."
The order comes as the government is demanding that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) retract a story aired over the weekend that mentioned the case of a mother who claimed her daughter was the victim of state enforced disappearance. The young woman appeared Monday on a local TV station to refute her mother's claims.
Egypt’s State Information Service, which regulates foreign media in the country, has called on the BBC to retract its story or face a government boycott.
BBC is standing by its reporting.