About IFEX:

News by region:

IFEX Campaigns and Advocacy:

IFEX Email Products:

Opportunities and assistance:

Alert

Editor sentenced to six months' imprisonment now behind bars

(ANHRI/IFEX) - The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) reiterates its deep contempt for the arrest of Yaser Barakat, editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Al-Mogaz."

Barakat was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and a £20,000 EGP (approx. US$3,500) fine on 23 June 2009. According to the terms of his sentence, he was to begin his jail time on 6 July.

The case against Barakat was filed by Mustafa Bakry, editor-in-chief of "Al-Osbooa" weekly, following the publication of an article entitled "Bakry, Syrian Intelligence and Naguib Sawiris" in "Al-Mogaz" which Bakry considered insulting.

ANHRI calls on the reporters union to resolve conflicts between reporters according to the guidelines in their charter. It is ridiculous to defend the rights of imprisoned journalists when a journalist sues his own colleague following the publication of a critical article.

ANHRI appeals to the reporters union to intervene immediately so as to bridge the gap between colleagues, to take all possible measures to release Barakat and to settle disputes through mediation rather than in court.