‘You Can’t Arrest a Virus’: The Freedom of Expression Crisis within Egypt’s Response to COVID-19

Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP

Published in The Journal of African Media Studies

In line with other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region ruled by authoritarian governments, Egypt had a problematic response at the onset the COVID-19 pandemic. While significant measures were enacted by the Egyptian authorities – including shelter-in-place orders and the suspension of many economic and social activities – the political logics pursued by the government of autocratic President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi often conflicted with scientific and medical considerations, leading to a belated and controversial response to the outbreak. The novelty of the infectious disease, the initial lack of definitive scientific consensus on its transmission mechanisms and the inadequacies of the national healthcare system have compounded the crisis.

This article discusses the COVID-19 outbreak in Egypt from the perspective of its public discussion in both the press and on the internet, particularly with respect to the information concerning the extent of the epidemic in the country. As with most countries affected by the spread of the virus, a surge of disinformation, misinformation and contentious claims engulfed Egypt early on. While the government took a series of important measures to curb the spread of false information, Egypt also experienced a recrudescence of censor- ship and limitations to freedom of expression on the topic of the COVID-19 outbreak. The health crisis had a negative impact for some of the country’s most essential economic sectors, such as tourism, but it also presented the government with the opportunity to strengthen its authoritarian grip.