(EOHR/IFEX) – The following is a 17 April 2000 EOHR press release: The Series of Imprisoning Journalists for Cases of Freedom of Expression is Resumed Prison is waiting for Salah Kabadaya chief editor of Al Ahrar Newspaper and Four Others EOHR has received the unfortunate ruling issued by the Abdin Misdemeanor Court on April 16, […]
(EOHR/IFEX) – The following is a 17 April 2000 EOHR press release:
The Series of Imprisoning Journalists for Cases of Freedom of Expression is Resumed
Prison is waiting for Salah Kabadaya chief editor of Al Ahrar Newspaper and Four Others
EOHR has received the unfortunate ruling issued by the Abdin Misdemeanor Court on April 16, 2000 in the case filed by Engineer Fahim Rayan, head of Egypt Air, against 5 journalists with the Al Ahrar Newspaper. They are:
1.. Mohamed Salah El Din Kabadaya (Chief Editor)
2.. Hosam Soliman Morsi
3.. Mohamed Abdel Fahim Abu El Nour
4.. Hesham Mohamed Mostafa
5.. Nabil Sadek Zezk Allah
The court ruled to imprison all of them for six months, set bail at L.E 500, and set a fine of L.E 7500. It also obliges them with the civil rights responsible to give the plaintiff a temporal remuneration amounting to L.E 501. This came as a result of the press campaign started by Al Ahrar Newspaper, (according to monitoring reports) throughout the period from September 19, 1997 to September 24, 1997 under the title
“Breaches in Millions Within the Kingdom of Egypt Air”, and its reports to the general prosecutor on financial corruption and forgery.
Despite the EOHRâs complete respect of the court rulings, EOHR would like to draw attention to the danger of the reoccurring phenomenon of imprisoning journalists. EOHR would also like to remind responsible parties of the freedom of expression accorded by the Egyptian constitution and the fact that Egypt has signed international covenants concerned with human rights. This ruling negatively reflects on press freedom and restricts its messages and roles. It also restricts the right to criticize the performance and the behavior of public employees without wasting the sanctity of private life.
EOHR is requesting that the legislative council and the journalistsâ syndicate consider the necessity of reforming the penal code by canceling all articles, including penalties, that restrict freedom to publish, as they are a repressive method against freedom of expression, access to information, circulating information or its flow liquidity. Such articles should be exchanged by an imposition of fines, while reserving the plaintiffâs right to respond to the same newspaper, by the same lines, at the same place and with double the area that the accusation was published in, as well as reserving the civil right of litigation. A text should also be added, forbidding the temporary imprisonment in all freedom of expression crimes without any exception; and providing for legal protection of a journalistâs freedom in practicing his profession and his right to obtain information and official statistics.
At the same time, the importance of activating the role of the press syndicates is noted, as is applying the covenant of the press honor to investigate the transgressions of newspapersâ publishing before referring to judicial authorities.
EOHR calls the attention of all civil society organizations and its existing powers to the importance of studying the phenomenon of arresting journalists. This should be taken seriously, with more depth and effectiveness than before. This is especially important now, after the issuing of three rulings of imprisonment for three journalists with the Al Shaab Newspaper, and the threat to imprison five others with the Al Ahrar Newspaper. Thus comes within the beginning of the third millenium. Instead of allowing opportunities for all opinions, and giving more freedom of expression at this time of globalization and the communication revolution, on the contrary, imprisonment is still a sword that threatens intellectuals.
EOHR calls all active powers (civil society, human rights groups, parties, the bar association) to increase their demand that the Al Shaab Newspaper journalists are released, as well as to stop the penalties of taking away the freedom of Al Ahrar journalists.
