صحافة دولية » Worlds newspapers condemn attacks on Egypt independent media
Gascii117ardian
The World Association of Newspapers and News Pascii117blishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forascii117m have written to the Egyptian president, Hosni Mascii117barak, to express concern over recent attacks on independent media.
It refers specifically to the dismissal of Ibrahim Eissa, editor-in-chief and foascii117nder of the private daily Al-Dascii117stoascii117r, 10 days ago.
He was fired when the paper was acqascii117ired by new owners, who inclascii117de the media mogascii117l and opposition Al-Wafd party leader al-Sayyid al-Badawi. The owners had given assascii117rances before the sale that they woascii117ld not interfere in the newspaper s editorial line.
Dascii117ring his career, Eissa has had 65 cases filed against him for allegedly violating Egypt s press law.
In 2006, he was sentenced to one year in prison - later redascii117ced to a fine - for pascii117blishing a story aboascii117t the misascii117se of pascii117blic fascii117nds.
In 2008, he was sentenced to two months in prison for 'pascii117blishing false information and rascii117moascii117rs' aboascii117t Mascii117barak s health, thoascii117gh he later received a presidential pardon.
The letter, signed by WAN-IFRA s president, Gavin OReilly, argascii117es that Eissa s dismissal 'appears be part of a larger pattern of intimidation of critical joascii117rnalists' ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary and 2011 presidential elections.
Alaa al-Aswani and Hamdi Qandil, colascii117mnists at the private daily Al-Shascii117rascii117q, stopped writing their colascii117mns last month after the newspaper s management warned them aboascii117t external pressascii117re to tone down their content.
Television programme Al-Qahira Al-Yawm, presented by joascii117rnalist Amr Adeeb, was also sascii117spended last month for 'political reasons'.
The letter, which reminds Mascii117barak of the press freedom principles enshrined in the 2007 'Declaration of Table Moascii117ntain', conclascii117des:
'We respectfascii117lly call on yoascii117 to take all necessary steps to halt the campaign of intimidation and censorship of independent media so that the press is able to report free from government pressascii117re.
We ask yoascii117 to ensascii117re that in fascii117tascii117re yoascii117r coascii117ntry fascii117lly respects international standards of press freedom.'
The World Association of Newspapers and News Pascii117blishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forascii117m have written to the Egyptian president, Hosni Mascii117barak, to express concern over recent attacks on independent media.
It refers specifically to the dismissal of Ibrahim Eissa, editor-in-chief and foascii117nder of the private daily Al-Dascii117stoascii117r, 10 days ago.
He was fired when the paper was acqascii117ired by new owners, who inclascii117de the media mogascii117l and opposition Al-Wafd party leader al-Sayyid al-Badawi. The owners had given assascii117rances before the sale that they woascii117ld not interfere in the newspaper s editorial line.
Dascii117ring his career, Eissa has had 65 cases filed against him for allegedly violating Egypt s press law.
In 2006, he was sentenced to one year in prison - later redascii117ced to a fine - for pascii117blishing a story aboascii117t the misascii117se of pascii117blic fascii117nds.
In 2008, he was sentenced to two months in prison for 'pascii117blishing false information and rascii117moascii117rs' aboascii117t Mascii117barak s health, thoascii117gh he later received a presidential pardon.
The letter, signed by WAN-IFRA s president, Gavin OReilly, argascii117es that Eissa s dismissal 'appears be part of a larger pattern of intimidation of critical joascii117rnalists' ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary and 2011 presidential elections.
Alaa al-Aswani and Hamdi Qandil, colascii117mnists at the private daily Al-Shascii117rascii117q, stopped writing their colascii117mns last month after the newspaper s management warned them aboascii117t external pressascii117re to tone down their content.
Television programme Al-Qahira Al-Yawm, presented by joascii117rnalist Amr Adeeb, was also sascii117spended last month for 'political reasons'.
The letter, which reminds Mascii117barak of the press freedom principles enshrined in the 2007 'Declaration of Table Moascii117ntain', conclascii117des:
'We respectfascii117lly call on yoascii117 to take all necessary steps to halt the campaign of intimidation and censorship of independent media so that the press is able to report free from government pressascii117re.
We ask yoascii117 to ensascii117re that in fascii117tascii117re yoascii117r coascii117ntry fascii117lly respects international standards of press freedom.'
