Ukrainian Parliament voted for the 2014 budget and approved controversial laws in an attempt to crack down the protests

Ukrainian parliamentarians during the controversial session
and voting process
(Image: The Guardian)

Ukrainian Parliament has held on Thursday, 16 January, a really scandalous session voting for 2014 budget and for 10 laws significantly restricting civil rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens and practically imposing the laws and norms existing during the period of “emergency law” with the difference that these laws in Ukraine could be constant.

Everything has started in early hours of Thursday, when the special parliamentary commission has gathered at 1 a.m. in order to discuss the project of 2014 budget and the amendments to it. Though the commission was represented mostly from the pro-Yanukovich powers, as oppositional representatives weren’t present and none of their propositions were imposed.

Mohamed Morsy ends the practice of detaining journalists for “press crimes”

Mohamed Morsy, Egypt's President

According to Yasser Ali, official presidential spokesperson, Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsy issued a new law on Thursday which cancels the Mubarak-era practice of temporarily detaining the journalists and reporters for so called “press crimes”, such as offending the state’s president, government etc.

This move represented the first use of Mohamed Morsy’s presidential legislative authority, which he can exercise according to the recently proclaimed new Constitutional Declaration.

It means that any temporarily detention of editors, journalists and reporters in Egypt for “public offences” and publication of false information would be illegal in the country. It also changes the situation with Islam Afify, Al-Dostour’s editor-in-chief, who is currently under detention.