For speaking out

What will the one-year sentence given the editor-in-chief of Al-Dostour mean for freedom of the press, asks Mohamed El-Sayed

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Ibrahim Issa

"Every Wednesday I open Al-Dostour and say 'May God protect [you]'". Thus voiced veteran journalist and political analyst Mohamed Hassanein Heikal his fears regarding the unprecedented outspokenness of the weekly independent at a meeting with its staff a few months ago. Heikal's concerns became reality this week as two of the paper's journalists were each given a one-year jail sentence for reporting on a complaint that accused President Hosni Mubarak of misusing government funds.

On Monday, the Giza Criminal Court found Al-Dostour 's Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim Issa and reporter Sahar Zaki guilty of "insulting and harming the president of the republic and the people of Egypt". In addition to the sentencing, they were fined LE10,000.

In April, the paper published a story about a complaint filed by ordinary citizen Said Mohamed Abdallah, who accused President Mubarak of misusing LE500 billion because of the privatisation of several public companies. Abdallah appeared in the same court on Monday as the two journalists and was given the same sentence.

Al-Dostour 's Agouza headquarters was packed on Monday with local and international journalists who flocked for the court ruling.

At a press conference, Issa related the circumstances of the story, claiming it was the first time since 1954 that a journalist had been indicted for insulting the president. Issa, who remained in high spirits throughout the press conference, said, "it's ironic that this sentence should be delivered at a time when the regime is talking about political reform." The court ruling, he added, "shows that these reforms and promises are short-lived."

Issa mocked the "hypocrisy" of the regime in handling press issues. "Nowadays, the main concern of the regime, which brags about introducing political reforms, is sending journalists to prison. This ruling shows the extent of dangers facing freedom of the press in Egypt. All opposition writers are in danger and subject to imprisonment."

Issa, whose brand of journalism uses colloquial rather than classical Arabic, didn't rule out the possibility that the ruling was "punishment for my articles [criticising the president] as a whole. It is also a blow directed to independent and opposition papers. The regime is becoming more and more fed up with these papers, and thus had to drop all political reform masks and show its true face."

Issa was flanked by Magdi El-Gallad, editor-in- chief of the daily Al-Masri Al-Yom, and Wael El-Ibrashi, editor-in-chief of Sawt Al-Umma, who came to show solidarity with Issa. Speaking, he said, on behalf of independent and opposition papers, Issa promised to "continue what we've begun. And the regime has to face criticism that will be launched by international and local communities."

The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR) expressed its deep concern over the court ruling against Issa and Zaki. "The organisation is deeply concerned about the use of a set of laws that constrain freedom of expression, and the imprisonment of journalists," the statement said, and called upon the government and parliament to accelerate the enactment of President Mubarak's promise of banning the imprisonment of journalists.

The Press Syndicate condemned the ruling in a statement that deemed the whole case cloaked in mystery. "The syndicate fears that this odd court ruling might be a message showing the real intentions hidden behind democratic reform claims [promoted by the government]... It is also strange that such a verdict is given at a time when the government is preparing a draft law that will ban the imprisonment of journalists. The syndicate is pessimistic about the draft law which, it seems, will not meet our minimum demands," the statement added.

The ruling also drew international criticism. "Two years ago, Mubarak pledged to eliminate prison penalties against journalists for what they publish," said the Committee to Protect Journalists. "The promise remains unfulfilled, and Egyptian journalists continue to be brought before criminal courts and sentenced to jail because of their criticism of government officials and other influential figures."

"The continuing prosecutions of outspoken journalists demonstrate this government's hostility towards independent journalism," Ann Cooper, executive director of CPJ, a New York-based independent non-profit organisation that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide, said on Tuesday. "We call on Egypt to put an end to the egregious practice of prosecuting journalists for their work."

A defiant Issa said he and Zaki would appeal. "I will continue my articles that harshly criticise President Mubarak and his family whatever the price might be."