Egypt’s Morsi withdraws complaints against media

CAIRO: An Egyptian official says the president has ordered withdrawal of complaints against journalists for allegedly reporting rumors.

Presidential spokesman Ehab Fahmy said Mohammed Morsi ordered cancellation of the complaints filed by the president’s legal office after reviewing the cases “out of respect for freedom of expression and freedom of the press.”

When reached for further comment, the presidency did not release details about how many complaints had been filed since Morsi’s election in June.

The decision does not affect charges filed by Islamist lawyers against journalists and media personalities for allegedly insulting Morsi and Islam.

Popular TV satirist Bassem Youssef is among many who still face investigations for expressing their political or religious opinions.