In his first legislative move as president, Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi passed a law on Thursday banning the pre-trial detention of journalists accused of “publishing offences”. The move came hours after a Giza criminal court decided to place Islam Afifi, chief-editor of Al Dustour newspaper, in preventative custody.

Afifi was held last week on charges of publishing “false information,” and “insulting” the president. In addition, the Aug. 11 edition of the paper was confiscated by court order. According to news reports, Afifi was released yesterday shortly after the president’s announcement.

In a constitutional declaration by Mohamed Morsi on Aug, 12, the president granted himself full executive and legislative powers including the power to set public policy and sign international treaties, stripping the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces of their power.

The new directive appears to have had little effect on the detention of another journalist, Tawfiq Okasha, who, as reported by IPI,  is being held for the more serious offence of “incitement to murder.”

IPI Deputy Director Anthony Mills said: “IPI welcomes the decision to end the practice of pre-trial detention for press offences. However, we would urge Egypt to go further by decriminalising insult and defamation. Journalists should never go to jail for doing their jobs.”

Human rights activist Gamal Eid told The New York Times that “Thursday’s decision shows that the Brotherhood is concerned about its publicity and feels that more pro-freedom actions need to be taken for it to maintain public support after the series of violations committed against the media.”