Negad al-Boraie, legal adviser to Al-Masry Al-Youm, met with Amr Samir, assistant general prosecutor, to file a report against the Muslim Brotherhood affiliated Rassd News Network (RNN).
The report accuses Rassd of broadcasting false news after it published an alleged recording of Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, claiming the recording was part of an interview Al-Masry Al-Youm had conducted with him.
In the leaked recording, which Rassd claims captures dialogue outside the official interview published by the paper last week, al-Sisi reveals an intent to safeguard his position as defense minister in the future.
“You should lead a campaign with other intellectuals asking that the constitution include an article giving immunity to Lieutenant-General al-Sisi’s position as defense minister and allowing him to keep that position even if he doesn't enter the presidency,” a voice, allegedly belonging to al-Sisi, said to Rizk, according to the leak.
During the official interview published by Al-Masry Al-Youm, al-Sisi responded to questions of his intent to run for president by saying that the time “wasn’t suitable” for such a question and that “God’s will shall prevail.”
The report filed by Al-Masry Al-Youm calls for putting RNN’s officials on trial and blocking its website.
Boraie told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the report accuses RNN of disseminating false news that harms the reputation of public figures and the military institution inside and outside of Egypt. It also accuses RNN of manipulating the interview and using the internet to smear the reputation of public figures.
Boraie said Rassd has two headquarters in Cairo and added that Al-Masry Al-Youm will prosecute whoever uses news from this network.
The report has been filed against Amr Farrag, the chairman of RNN, and Mostafa Alaa, its founder.
Meanwhile, legal experts said Rassd has committed two mistakes: violating intellectual property and disseminating false news that undermines national security.
Shawqi al-Sayyed, a law professor, said the fact that Rassd has published fabricated news is only a response to Al-Masry Al-Youm's success in having an interview with Sisi.
Sayyed added that this crime is both unethical and criminal since it involves spreading rumors and false news to harm a figure of authority. “It is also criminal,” he added, “which calls for the imposition of the toughest penalty since the perpetrators of the crime have spread news that leads to chaos and fear in the society.”
Refaat al-Sayyed, the former head of the Cairo Appeals Court, said that publishing the recording without permission from the Public Prosecution or Sisi is a crime that leads to imprisonment. He included that fabricating news and attributing them to someone is also an imprisonable crime.
