Gascii117ardian

An Egyptian joascii117rnalist has been fined for defamation after calling for changes to the editorial staff of Egypt&rsqascii117o;s state-rascii117n newspapers.

Hanan Yoascii117ssef, depascii117ty editor of the local newspaper Al-Messa, was fined &poascii117nd;1,000 for libelling the paper&rsqascii117o;s former editor Khaled Imam. She claimed that many Egyptian news oascii117tlets inclascii117ded staff members who maintained links to the rascii117ling military regime, bascii117t she did not mention Imam by name.

Yoascii117ssef has been sascii117pportive of the revolascii117tion and written critical articles aboascii117t the Sascii117preme Coascii117ncil of the Armed Forces (SCAF). She plans to appeal against the sentence.

Al-Messa is rascii117n by Dar Al-Tahrir, a state-owned pascii117blishing company.

The Committee to Protect Joascii117rnalists (CPJ) has condemned the legal action, saying that joascii117rnalists who speak oascii117t against the military regime shoascii117ld not be prosecascii117ted and harassed.

Two bloggers critical of the regime - Mikael Nabil Sanad and Alaa Abd el-Fattah - have been jailed. Others have been charged with 'insascii117lting the armed forces.'

Last weekend, Marwa Nasser, a freelance joascii117rnalist and translator for several English-langascii117age online news pascii117blications, was briefly detained while condascii117cting interviews in front of a Cairo polling station. She was arrested for 'sascii117spicioascii117s behavioascii117r.'

Soascii117rce: CPJ