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EOHR Calls to Halt Essa's Trial and to Abolish Imprisonment Penalty in Publication Crimes
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11/9/2007
EOHR expresses its deepest worries concerning summoning Ibrahim Essa, journalist and editor-in-chief of Al Dostour Newspaper, to stand before Bolaque Misdemeanors Court on the 1st October 2007 in case 1042/2007.
Essa was summoned on 5th September 2007 to stand before State Security Supreme Prosecution Office for interrogation. Essa was charged with "propagating false news and rumors causing general security disturbance and harming public interest" and " Intentionally publishing false news that may hurt public safety". These procedures were taken against Essa after publishing news and articles related to President Mubarak's health condition.
EOHR expresses its appreciation to the Egyptian Judiciary, but in the same time EOHR still holds its stand against referring cases related to freedom of expression and stating opinions concerning public figures to courts. The consequences of these procedures will negatively affect freedom of expression in Egypt due to the vague legislation related to publication crimes that ultimately may lead to the imprisonment of the journalist. EOHR views these procedures as one of the main restrictions to freedom of expression in Egypt.
EOHR calls upon the Egyptian Government, Journalists' Syndicate and all concerned bodies to unit their effort to work on abolishing the imprisonment penalty in publication crimes in consistency with international human rights treaties and norms. EOHR also stresses on the importance to introduce amendments to all laws that contain provisions punishing journalists with imprisonment in cases related to published opinions. EOHR also believes that its important to establish a mechanism that criminalizes banning information from journalists by any organ, whether governmental or public, and to elevate any obstacles facing the flow of information, taking into consideration classified materials for national security reasons.
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