27th July 2009
The Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue expresses its great concern and worry regarding prosecuting of the journalist Mohamed Al Sawy an editor in Al Fagr Newspaper because of his press reports.
The forum has monitored a direct misdemeanor against Al Sawy by Mr. Mahmoud Helmy Moneb, the businessman as he accused Al Sawy by insulting and slandering him by publishing. This lawsuit waits its first trail sessions in front of Al Agouza Court on 30th July 2009. This lawsuit is due to publishing press report entitled “With Documents for the Second Time the Facts of Leaders Schools: A report to the Attorney General against the ‘Whale’ of Investment Zone Lands in 6th October City”. It is worth mentioning that it is the tenth lawsuit against Al Fagr Newspaper and that monitored by the Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue in 2009. By the end of June 2009, the forum has issued its biannual report about conditions of press in Egypt which revealed that Al Fagr Newspaper occupied the first place in regard to the most Egyptian newspaper which has sentenced judgments because of reports by its editors and journalists and occupied the second place in regard to lawsuits against it.
The forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue re-assures that the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists should play more effective role in facing this big number of cases and lawsuits against Egyptian journalists. The first half of this year witnessed 68 lawsuits against 17 Egyptian newspapers, which means a lawsuit is sued against journalists each 62 hours. The forum calls all civil society organizations and all Egyptian journalists to be in solidarity to repel this attack which restricts the freedom of Egyptian press.
