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Egypt has banned 21 news sites critical of the government, including the main website of Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television, for "supporting terrorism," state news agency MENA reported on Wednesday.
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"A senior security source said 21 websites have been blocked inside Egypt for having content that supports terrorism and extremism as well (as) publishing lies," MENA said.
The full list of banned sites was not provided, but Reuters found that Huffington Post’s Arabic-language site HuffPost Arabi, the independent website Mada Masr, and Egypt-focused website Masr Al Arabiya are among those blocked.
MENA added that legal action would be taken against these outlets.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned the Egyptian government’s decision in a statement, saying it was part of a campaign to impose on the freedom of expression.
“We have become a prison whose walls are getting higher day after day,” the statement said. “Such a matter indeed consolidates the rule of the individual, the absence of law and the institutionalism of the governmental decisions.”
The websites were blocked for being affiliated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, or for being funded by Qatar, two security sources told Reuters.
Al-Jazeera is based in Doha, Qatar’s capital, and is partially owned by the Qatari royal family. Masr Al Arabiya is hosted abroad, and the government says it was financed by Qatar.
Cairo accuses Qatar of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, which was ousted from power in Egypt in 2013, when the military removed former President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests against his rule.
In December 2016, Egyptian authorities arrested Al-Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein after he travelled to Cairo for a holiday. Al-Jazeera has been demanding his release ever since. Hussein is charged with "disseminating false news and receiving monetary funds from foreign authorities in order to defame the state's reputation."
Egypt’s block follows similar actions taken by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, who got into a war of words with Qatar, and blocked Al-Jazeera and other websites.
In the alleged hack, Qatar’s state-run news agency published a news report that defended all of Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran.
The fake story quoted a speech, attributed to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar's ruler, that criticized U.S. foreign policy, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.
“No one has a right to accuse us of terrorism because they designated the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists or refused the role of the resistance with Hezbollah and Hamas,” one of the quotes read.
It also quoted Sheikh Tamim as calling Iran an "Islamic power" and saying Qatar's relations with Israel were "good."
Amid Qatar's denials, Saudi and other Gulf Arab countries immediately began airing repeated stories about the disputed comments.
Sheikh Saif Bin Ahmed Al Thani, the director of the Qatari government's communications office, issued a statement on Wednesday saying authorities had launched an investigation.
"The statement published has no basis whatsoever and the competent authorities in the state of Qatar will hold all those (who) committed (this) accountable," it continued.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the alleged hack.
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