CAIRO, July. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian top prosecution on Wednesday ordered the investigation of websites and social media outlets that publish false news or information undermining Egypt's national security and interests, official MENA news agency reported.
"In the light of the recently noticed attempts of evil forces to undermine the nation's security and safety by publishing and spreading lies and false news through different media outlets and social media websites, it is decided to follow up these websites attentively to pursue whatever they publish that harms the nation's interests," the prosecution said in a statement.
A day earlier, Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) called on Egyptian officials and elites to boycott cooperation with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) after its recent report on human rights in Egypt which the SIS described as "absolute falsification and fabrication."
In a documentary last week, the BBC showed a mother complaining of the alleged torture and forced disappearance of her 23-year-old daughter Zubeida by the Egyptian police.
Two days later, however, an Egyptian private TV channel aired an interview with Zubeida who denied her mother's claims.
In the interview, the young Egyptian woman said she got married without her mother's knowledge and disappeared for a year, denying any police involvement behind the event.
But she acknowledged that she was once detained along with her mother for a few months after being arrested in a protest supporting the currently-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.
The SIS, which runs the country's press center, called on Egyptian officials and public figures to boycott conducting media interviews and meetings with BBC correspondents and editors until it issues "a formal apology" and publishes the SIS statement refuting its "professional errors, violations and allegations" regarding the situation in Egypt.
Since May 2017, Egypt has banned dozens of local websites over spreading false news against the country's national security and interests.
