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Egypt: World Press Freedom Day Irony– Egyptian editors appeal prison sentence
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ARTICLE 19 has joined HRInfo and the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights in condemning the government’s attempt to silence the Egyptian media by imprisoning three newspaper editors. The editors, who face a one year prison sentence, are ironically expected to make their appeal for freedom on World Press Freedom Day.
Wael al-Abrashi of the weekly Soat al-Ommah, Adel Hamoda of the weekly al-Fagr and Adel Halim Kandeel formerly at the weekly al-Karama, were each sentenced in September to one-year in prison and a fine of 20,000 EGP ($3,700) after being found guilty of “publishing false information likely to disturb public order”.
Ibrahim Issa, of the daily al-Dustor, was sentenced to six months in prison for "publishing false information and rumors" about Mubarak's health in March. Issa is due before an appeals court later in May.
“This is part and parcel of an ongoing campaign to quell freedom of expression in Egypt by abusing legal procedures and criminal law. The persecution of the four editors under Article 188 of the Egyptian penal code on World Press Freedom Day sends a shocking reminder of the bleak state of human rights in Egypt” said Dr. Agnès Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.
Earlier this year, an appeals court annulled the prison sentence, but not the fine, imposed on al-Jazeera’s Howayda Taha for her documentary on torture. In May 2007, Taha was tried in relation to her documentary on torture and found guilty of “harming national interest” and “possessing and giving pictures and recorded material that undermine the image of the country”.
While ARTICLE 19 welcomes the Administrative Court’s rejection of a lawsuit against a number of local NGOs in December 2007, more needs to be done for Egypt to live up to its commitments to human rights. ARTICLE 19 would like to remind the Egyptian authorities of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Arab Charter on Human Rights, all of which are legally binding treaties that guarantee the right to freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial.
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