Egypt urges boycott of BBC after report on disappearances

CAIRO – Egypt's state media body is calling on officials and the "elite" to boycott the BBC after it broadcast a report on the repression of dissent under President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi that addressed torture and forced disappearances.

In a Tuesday statement, the State Information Service urges individuals to refuse interviews with the BBC until it issues a formal apology. It also wants the BBC to publish an official statement issued by authorities alleging that the report contains inaccuracies.

The report was published online and broadcast last week. It includes interviews with activists and other individuals who describe police abuses, including a mother who says her daughter was taken by police a year ago and has not been seen since.