Egyptian court orders shutdown of Islamist TV channel for inciting hatred against Christians

An Egyptian court has ordered an Islamist television channel to be closed permanently, after accusing it of inciting hatred against Coptic Christians and disrupting national unity.

The broadcaster, Al-Hafez, was ordered to shut down permanently by a Cairo court over accusations of undermining the unity of Egypt, News24 reports.

According to the report, Al-Hafez and some of its reporters have often been accused by Copts and liberals of using harsh language against them in their reports.

Several other Islamist networks had been ordered to be taken off-the-air temporarily soon after the July 3 ousting of former president Mohammed Morsi by the military, the report added.

Meanwhile, Human Rights organisations in Egypt have criticized the closure of channels saying that it is a form of collective punishment, which violates media freedom.

The court's decision comes a day after Egypt expelled three foreign journalists of Qatar-based English version of Al-Jazeera television channel for working without permit for satellite transmission.