The adminstrative judiciary is hearing three lawsuits to stop the circulation of newspapers FDHRD is calling for the freedom of owning and issuing newspapers

21 April 2009

Press Statement  

The adminstrative judiciary is hearing three lawsuits to stop the circulation of newspapers

FDHRD is calling for the freedom of owning and issuing newspapers

The Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialog (FDHRD) is concerned about the widespread of adminstrative restrictions on the right to own and issue newspapers in Egypt as the adminstrative judiciary is hearing the following cases:

First case: Case no. 32821 of the judicial year no. 63 which was filed by Mr. Said Abdel El Said Ali who is the head of board of directors of Dyoum El Leel for journalism, printing , publishing and distribution. He requested in this case to stop the implementation of the ban of issuing Oyoun El Leel newspaper and a session to take a decicion on this challenge is scheduled to be  on 21^st April 2009.

 Second case: Case no.2815 of the judicial year no. 63 which is filed by Mr. Galal Qarteem who is the head of board of directors of El Ahd El Gedeed newspaper. He requested in this case to stop the implementation of the decicion of the Supreme Council for Jounralism to ban of issuing El Ahd El Gedeed newspaper and a session to take a decicion on this challenge is scheduled to be  on 19^th May 2009.

Third case: This case is filed by Mr. Ashraf Sayed Ahmed Abdel Aleem, who is the head of board of directors of Akhbar El Sahafa newspaper. He requested in this case to stop the negative decision of refusing the issuance of Akhbar El Kashafa newspaper although its owner has received a permission on 15^th May 2004 from Ghofran Printing House Institution in London and this decision was approved by the Egyptian Minitry of Foreign Affairs on 18^th July 2004.

In this regard, FDHRD is concerned on the trend of imposing adminstrative measures on the journalistic works. It confims that the right to issuse and own newspapers is considered one of the pillars of the freedom of journalism.  Such restrictions are considered a breach to the articles of the Egyptian Constitution , articles no. 47 and 48 and it is considered a breach to article no. 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rigths as well as it breaches articles no. 4, 5, 8, and 9 of law no. 96 of 1996 related to the freedom of issuing and owning newspapers.