Opposition editor Magdi Hussein arrested for refusing to pay fine
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 31, 30 January 1996 and 25 October 1995** On 7 May 1996, a Cairo court ordered Magdi Hussein, editor-in- chief of “Al-Shaab”, a bi-weekly organ of the pro-Islamist Labor Party, to pay a fine for a libel conviction, or else face imprisonment. The following day, police arrested Hussein because of his […]
Distribution of weekly “Al-Destour” banned
The 24 April 1996 issue of the independent weekly “Al-Destour” has been banned from distribution by the Office of Censorship. According to the editor, Ibrahim Eissa, no explanation was given for the ban; however, it would appear that a report mentioning “conflict” between police chiefs in the Interior Ministry was behind the move. One official […]
Two journalists sentenced to six months in prison
On 4 April 1996, Mahmoud el-Maraghy and Gamal Fahmi, editor-in- chief and columnist respectively for the opposition weekly “Al- Arabi”, were each sentenced to six months in prison for “slandering a member of parliament.” They were also each fined US$ 200. They have appealed the decision and are currently free. The two journalists had published […]
“Al-Wafd” editor-in-chief attacked
On the evening of 1 August 1995, Gamal Badawi, editor-in-chief of the opposition daily “Al-Wafd”, left a conference at the Journalists’ Syndicate in downtown Cairo. He was heading for his home in Heliopolis, when two vehicles forced his car off the road. Ten unidentified individuals then emerged from the vehicles, pulled Badawi out of his […]
PEN protests enforced separation of professor from his wife
On 19 June 1995, International PEN wrote to the Egyptian President to express its shock and profound concern at the case of Dr Nasr Hamad Abu Zaid and its implications for the right to freedom of opinion and ideas in Egypt. On 14 June l995, an Egyptian court ruled that Dr Nasr Abu Zaid, a […]