In the context of the continuous series of registration crisis suffered by the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists, the Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue has monitored six new lawsuits sued by nine Egyptian journalists in front of the Administrative Court

6^th July 2009

In the context of the continuous series of registration crisis suffered by the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists, the Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue has monitored six new lawsuits sued by nine Egyptian journalists in front of the Administrative Court in which they demand and call for their right to being registered in the Syndicate of Journalists as the syndicate insists on not to register them in the syndicate tables or to delay deciding in their demands later without mentioning any reasons although they have fulfilled all necessary conditions for registration as stated by article 5 of law no. 76 of 1970. Despite the increasing number of these lawsuits and as the journalists used and followed all legal means to call for their right to be registered in the syndicate, yet the syndicate only plays the role of the ‘spectator’ and abstains from acknowledging the rights of those journalists. The Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue continues in monitoring these lawsuits as follows:

1. Lawsuit no. 10972 of 61 sued by six reporters in Al Masaa Newspaper who are:

* Abd El Nasser Hassan Mohamed Mahran, a reporter in Al Massa Newspaper in Qina.

*Nabil Youssef Zaki Pasliyous, a reporter in Al Massa Newspaper in Al Minya.

*Taha Kamel Mahmoud Kamal El Din, a reporter in Al Massa Newspaper in Sohag.

*Hoda Hosni Mohamed Mohamedan, a reporter in Al Massa Newspaper in Sohag.

*Mahmoud Wagdy Radwan Ahmed, a reporter in Al Massa Newspaper in Assuit.

*Hamed Awad Halel Awad, known as Hamed Halel, a reporter in Al Massa Newspaper in Alexandria.

The lawsuit will be viewed on 11^th October 2009 in the Administrative Court (second circle/ individuals) at the State Council headquarter

2.Lawsuit no. 7576 of 63 sued by Marwa Lotfy Sayed Mohamed, a news editor in Al Alam Al Youm Newspaper. The lawsuit will be viewed on 27^th September 2009 in the Administrative Court (second circle/ individuals) at the State Council headquarter

3.Lawsuit no. 35825 of 63 sued by Bahaya Hanafy Abd Allah, a news editor in Al Anbaa Al Dawlya Magazine, a reporter for newspapers of Al Tawon Printing and Publishing House and the chairperson of Al Hawar Al Misry Newspaper. The lawsuit will be viewed on 27/9/2009 in the Administrative Court (second circle/ individuals) at the State Council headquarter.

4.Lawsuit no. 7294 of 63 sued by Laila Awad Abd El Gawad, a news editor in Al Tahrir Printing and Publishing House (Al Gomhoria Press House) since 5/5/2001 according to a dated work contract. The lawsuit will be viewed on 11^th October 2009 in the Administrative Court (second circle/ individuals) at the State Council headquarter.

5. Lawsuit no. 36837 of 61 sued by Mahmoud Al Sayed Mohamed Ahmed, editor at Al Tawheed Magazine issued by the General Center for Ansar Al Sunna Al Mohamediyah since 1994. The lawsuit will be viewed on 28^th September 2009 in the Administrative Court (second circle/ individuals) at the State Council headquarter.

6.Lawsuit no. 10653 of 63 sued by Hazem Ali Hafez Sherif, a journalist registered in the Journalists Syndicate since 2001 and he was registered as a freelance journalist after he resigned from Al Alam Al Youm Newspaper where he worked and on 7^th February 2006 he worked in Al Maal Newspaper. on 18^th September 2008, he submitted as request to the Journalists Syndicate to change his title from a freelance journalist to a journalist in Al Maal Newspaper yet the syndicate did not respond to his request. The lawsuit will be viewed on 11^th October 2009 in the Administrative Court (second circle/ individuals) at the State Council headquarter. 

So as monitored by the Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue, the number of lawsuits sued against the Journalists Syndicates reached 22 lawsuits during 2009 by 30 journalists. This is in addition to the judgment sentenced on 25^th January 2009 for the Ansari Mahmoud Mohamed Salem known as Nasr Al Hosiny, the journalist in Al Bahrawaya Newspaper against the head of the journalists to stop the negative decision of rejecting the registration of the claimant in the Journalists Syndicate claiming that he works as a journalist at a regional newspaper which is a violation to the law no. 76 of 1970 in regard to establishing the Journalists Syndicate and organizing the registration procedures in it.