(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Justice Minister Farouq Seif El-Nasr, RSF protested the sentencing of journalists Adel Hammuda and Essam Fahmy, of the weekly “Sawt al-Umma”, to six months in prison and a fine of 500 Egyptian pounds (approx. US$110, 125 Euros). “Without commenting on the merits of the case, we ask you to […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Justice Minister Farouq Seif El-Nasr, RSF protested the sentencing of journalists Adel Hammuda and Essam Fahmy, of the weekly “Sawt al-Umma”, to six months in prison and a fine of 500 Egyptian pounds (approx. US$110, 125 Euros). “Without commenting on the merits of the case, we ask you to do everything in your power to ensure the two sentences are not applied,” said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard.
RSF recalls that, in an 18 January 2000 report, United Nations Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression Abid Hussain asked that “all governments ensure that press offences are no longer punishable by prison sentences, except in cases involving racist or discriminatory remarks or calls to violence ⦔ The special rapporteur added that “imprisonment as punishment for the peaceful expression of an opinion constitutes a serious violation of human rights.” RSF noted that two journalists, Mahmud Mahran (see IFEX alerts of 19 and 18 September 2001) and Abd-al-Munim Gamal al-Din Abd al-Munim (see IFEX alert of February 3 1999), are currently in prison in Egypt.
According to information gathered by RSF, on 21 March 2002, Adel Hammuda, a journalist for “Sawt al-Umma”, and Essam Fahmy, the newspaper’s managing editor, were convicted of libelling businessman Nagib Sawiris, president of one of Egypt’s two biggest telecommunications groups, Orascom. They were each sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and fined 500 Egyptian pounds for an article published at the beginning of the year reporting on the wealthy businessman’s allegedly questionable business practices. The two journalists are free pending appeal.
