Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Thursday issued a decree to stop detention on "publishing crimes," using the legislative power he had battled from the military council for the first time.

The decree, which cancelled the crime mentioned in article 179 of the presidential penal code, aimed to stop holding into custody measure in media crimes, said Yasser Ali, Morsi's spokesman.

Hours before the decree, independent Al-Dostour newspaper Chief Editor Islam Afifi was arrested on accusation of insulting Morsi.

The decree meant that Afifi will be released, Ali said.

Being the first civilian president in Egyptian history, Morsi was sworn in on June 30 with a dissolved parliament. His power was strictly limited by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces chaired by Hussein Tantawi, the then real ruler of Egypt.

But Morsi successfully retook the legislative power by retiring top military leaders including Tantawi on Aug. 12. He also issued a new constitutional declaration and cancelled the supplementary declaration issued in mid-June by the army.