Al-Sisi: ‘Slander no less dangerous than attacking the state’

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Egyptian General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned of the seriousness of questioning and slandering the state’s capabilities, considering that this is no less dangerous than an attack on the state. During his speech at the graduation ceremony for new batches of military colleges and institutes, al-Sisi stressed the need for military graduates to pay attention to this matter and the issue of educating recruits.

Observers and analysts view with concern al-Sisi’s statements as a prelude to suppressing opinions and freedoms under the pretext of questioning the Egyptian state’s capabilities and considering any criticism as slandering the country and more dangerous than attacking it. During the past years, the Egyptian regime has expanded its detention of journalists and activists under the pretext of spreading false news, against the background of their criticism of the Egyptian authorities.