Egyptian daily A-Dustour‘s editor-in-chief Ibrahim ‘Issa will appeal to a higher authority, following the New Cairo Court’s ruling which sentenced him to six months in jail.
‘Issa was found guilty of spreading false information about President Hosni Mubarak’s health, which in turn damaged the national economy.
The widely covered trial began in September 2007 after A-Dustour published a series of articles suggesting that Mubarak was in ill health. The prosecution alleged that these articles undermined investor confidence and that the Egyptian economy was damaged as a result.
The court rejected claims by economic experts from Egypt’s Central Bank on behalf of ‘Issa’s defense team, according to which the articles had no effect on the local economy.
"The conviction issued today [yesterday] is in fact a condemnation of the Egyptian government, which uncovered its real view towards freedom of expression," said executive director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, Gamal Eid.
"The government is insistent on taking revenge on ‘Issa and convicting him, while at the same time they know that imprisoning him for an alleged and faked crime is a big scandal, and so this judgment was a compromise, which is considered a rude manipulation of justice," added Eid.
The International Committee for the Protection of Journalists has also denounced the sentence, the Egyptian Daily Star reported. The committee’s Regional Middle East and North Africa coordinator, Kamil Labidi, told reporters the verdict was a "severe blow" to freedom of expression in Egypt, and that it reflected a culture of repression in the Arab region.
‘Issa did not appear at the court session yesterday.