(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the president of the journalists’ union, Seifi Sherif, RSF protested the decision to expel Nidal Mansour, editor-in-chief of the weekly “Al Hadath” and president of the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists, from the journalists’ union for life. Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general, stated that “this sentence, which hits a […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the president of the journalists’ union, Seifi Sherif, RSF protested the decision to expel Nidal Mansour, editor-in-chief of the weekly “Al Hadath” and president of the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists, from the journalists’ union for life. Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general, stated that “this sentence, which hits a journalist strongly committed to the defence of press freedom, is particularly heavy because it prevents Nidal Mansour from practising his profession again one day.” “Indeed, membership in the union is compulsory for journalists,” added Ménard, who asked Sherif to reconsider his decision and to reinstate Mansour.
According to information obtained by RSF, on 5 September 2000 Mansour was expelled for life from the Jordanian journalists’ union “because he did not work as a journalist full time”, the union’s vice-president said. The previous day, the disciplinary council, which was in charge of investigating the journalist, recommended banning him from practising his profession for a year for “receiving foreign aid [for his organisation], thus violating Jordanian law”. The journalist denied these accusations and said he will appeal to the High Court. Three other journalists, Bilal al-Tal, Mahassen Imam and George Hawatmeh, also convicted for receiving foreign aid for organisations that they lead, were cleared by the same union on 16 August.
