al sisiThe Committee to Protect Journalists wrote a letter July 9 to Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, urging him to end the widening crackdown on Egypt's press.

A bill introduced July 5 imposes a minimum two years' jail time for reporters convicted of publishing news about terrorist organizations that "contradict official statements" of the government.

CPJ told el-Sisi that measure "defies any standard of freedom of the press and violates Egypt's own constitution."

Acknowledging that terror groups have targeted Egypt, CPJ maintains it is of "critical importance that journalists are able to report freely without fear of imprisonment."

CPJ also objected to a cybercrime measure that calls for harsh prison sentences for Internet users for vaguely defined crimes such as "harming the social peace" and "threatening national unity."

Egypt, according to CPJ, has jailed 18 reporters for their work. Most of them are affiliated with the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

In February, el-Sisi promised to release detainees who are wrongly jailed.

CPG urged him to deliver on that promise.