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Another Stumble for Freedom of Expression
Imprisonment Awaits the Chief Editor of "Al Dostour" Newspaper, an Editor and a Source
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26/6/2006
EOHR expresses its worries concerning the verdict issued by Warraa Misdemeanors Court No. 14043/2006 on 26th June 2006. The verdict penalized the journalist and writer Ibrahim Esa, the Chief Editor of Al Dostour, and others with one year imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 LE, and 2001 LE as a temporary compensation in the case filed by a lawyer from el Warraa accusing Esa and Sahar Zaki, a journalist in the same newspaper, and Saied Mohamed Abdullah (source) of insulting and libeling the President of the Republic and the residences of el Warraa. The lawyer also accused them of " distribution of inciteful propaganda with intent to endanger public security or public welfare" (the Egyptian Penal Code Article 102).
This case dates back to last April, when el Dostour published in its issue No. 55 (5/4/2006) a piece of news under the title " A Citizen from Warraa el Arab Demands the trial of the President and his Family, and returning 5 Billions LE, the value of the Public Sector and Foreign Aid". This piece of news was edited by Sahar Zaki, a journalist, and her source was Abdullah the third suspect in the case.
On 19th June 2006, the Court held the hearing for this case. Esa's lawyer argued that the case has no merits because the suitor doesn't have the legal personality to file such case. The case was also filed in a different way other than stipulated by the law, as the accusations mentioned in the lawsuit are under the jurisdiction of the Criminal Court not the Court of Misdemeanors. The lawyer argued also that Esa published the article in good faith, as Abdullah was only practicing his right to go to court.
EOHR reaffirms its respect to judicial decisions, however it expresses its deepest concerns towards the continuous use of a group of notorious laws which criminalize freedom of expression and opinion, and use the imprisonment penalty in publication cases. EOHR also condemns the issuance of new imprisonment sentences against journalists in publication cases, which will eventually suppress the freedom of journalism in Egypt. Finally, EHOR demands the immediate enactment of the presidential promise to abolish imprisonment in publication cases.
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