When you have a military coup overthrow a civilian elected government, let’s say you’ve already significantly departed from small-d democratic best practices. That said, I think there are many who reasonably think that this was the least bad option to the situation President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood had largely created on their own. But there is at least one worrisome sign I want to flag if you have not yet heard of it.
Egyptian security forces have not only taken the Muslim Brotherhood’s media channel off the air – something that might be expected or even understandable on a very short term basis until the situation is settled and it’s clear whether the Brotherhood has plans to fight this decision on the streets. But they’ve also apparently arrested the journalists who work for the Brotherhood media properties.
The same also seems to have happened with Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr, the Egyptian subsidiary or division of Al Jazeera. It seems to be widely believed that Mubasher Misr was fairly sympathetic to Morsi. So they may be fairly seen as pro-Morsi media. But again, that shouldn’t be a crime against the state.
I’m seeing unconfirmed reports that the people who were arrested have been or are being released. Let’s hope so. I will update this post once more is known.
