Egyptian parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal expressed his determination to form a special parliamentary committee focused on combating hate speech and violence.

The anti-government demonstrations that broke out in a number of Egyptian governorates Sept. 20 were met with further restrictions on the press and other media, including the blocking of several international news websites, the denial of internet access and the hindering of social networking sites.

Media organizations received instructions from security agencies to attack the National Council for Human Rights and its head, following a statement it published criticizing recent police violations, media sources told Mada Masr.

A media watchdog has called on Egyptian authorities to immediately release journalists Alaa Abdelfattah, Nasser Abdelhafez, Engi Abdel Wahab and three others arrested for reporting on the recent protests against President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The State Information Service (SIS), headed by Diaa Rashwan, called on international media outlets, specifically their accredited correspondents in Egypt, to abide by internationally recognised professional standards in their coverage of Egyptian affairs.

The Supreme Media Council, headed by Makram Ahmed, issued on Thursday a list of restrictions to be followed by governmental and private print and broadcast media outlets.

TV presenter Reham Saeed on Friday announced her retirement from appearing in all media outlets, after facing a huge wave of criticism over her recent comments on obesity.

President of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation Makram Mohamed Ahmed on Saturday blocked the websites al-Akhbariya and al-Sabah News for publishing fake news about Chinese company Huawei, potentially harming Huawei’s business activities in Egypt and violating the code of journalistic ethics.

Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) on Wednesday said it was shocked that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has postponed the anti-torture conference in Cairo scheduled for September following rights groups’ backlash against Egypt’s human rights record.

Egypt’s Administrative Control Authority arrested on Tuesday the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation Ahmed Selim, who had been caught red-handed over bribery at his office.