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Our Reports
The Internet In the Arab World
A New Space of Repression?
No Rules, No Limits
United Arab Emirates:
Freedom of expression is missing despite a decision banning imprisonment for press crimes
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Ibrahim Issa's trial transfer, annulled
Cairo, November 28, 2007
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information welcomed today the administrative court's decision issued yesterday to halt a previous decision issued by the Minster of Justice to change the trial's venue of Egyptian Aldostur newspaper's Chief Editor Ibrahim Issa from the Algalaa court to New Cairo City's court, the case was dubbed as "rumors about the president's health".
It is believed that the decision to transfer the trial to the New Cairo city's court, on the outskirts of Cairo, was an attempt the government made to take the case off media's lights and to make it harder for human rights organization to monitor the trial.
The case goes back to September 5, after rumors widely circulated about the president's deteriorating health; the rumors were addressed in several papers without triggering a prompt official response from the government.
Ibrahim Essa was subsequently summoned to the supreme deputy of state security and was charged of publicizing rumors and false statements (essays about Mubarak's health) that will disturb public security and damages the public interest; he was also charged of maliciously publishing false news and statements that will damage public safety.
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information although welcoming the Administrative court's decision yet it believed that resorting to unlawful measures on part of the government demonstrated its persistence to repress the freedom of opinion and expression in order to harass independent outspoken journalists and undermine hopes in real reforms.
The Arabic Network calls upon the Egyptian government to lay-off the freedom of opinion and expression and to implement the right to information and news as a genuine right, provided for in the Egyptian constitution and the international treaties Egypt had ratified.
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