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On the Second Anniversary of the Presidential Promise
New Criminal Verdicts Against Journalists
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23/2/2006
On the second anniversary of the presidential promise of the abolition of prison sentences in publication cases, Cairo Criminal Court on (23/2/2006) issued a verdict in al-Masry al-Youm newspaper journalists case, in which it refused the appeal of the first defendant; Abdel Nasser Ali, while it has accepted the appeal of the other two; Alaa al- Ghatrifiy and Yousef al-Oamy whom were released and the three of them paid a fine of 10,000 LE to the suitor as an apology for the defame.
The plaintiff, Dr Ibrahim Suleiman, Minister of Housing presented a report to Judge/Maher abdel Wahed, Prosecutor General accusing the three journalists (Abdel Nasser Ali, Alaa Yehya Mohamed - nick name 'Alaa al-Ghatrify' and Yousef Taha Abdel Rahman -nick name 'Yousef al-Oamy'), of defaming and slandering his reputation in the 73rd issue of al-Masry al-Youm on (18/8/2004), entitled 'search warrant on Ibrahim Soliman's Office'. They were summoned to the Prosecution for investigation on 21/9/2004.
On the 7th April 2005, the Criminal Court sentenced the three journalists to one year of imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 LE, the second and third defendants were judged in absentia. The three journalists appealed to the sentence before Cairo Criminal Court, where the verdict was issued today.
On the other hand, on 22nd February 2006, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) issued a statement calling upon President Mubarak to fulfill his promise of the abolition of prison sentences in publication cases and calls upon the government to present a draft law to People's Assembly in order to issue a new legislation annul journalists' prison sentences in crimes of press defaming and slandering. Though EOHR disapproves the government's severe laws which violate the right to freedom of opinion and expression and impose prison sentences in publication cases, and also issuing new verdicts of prison sentences against journalists in issues of press defaming and slandering., in which it stands against freedom of press in Egypt.
Finally, EOHR calls upon President Mubarak to fulfil his promise to abolish prison sentences in publication cases in order to protect journalists and freedom of press and to work within the Constitution and international instruments which guarantees freedom of opinion and expression. Instead of imposing prison sentences, the government could enforce the convicted journalists to pay a fine within a deadline in case of proving the journalist guilty.
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