Since October, three Egyptian
journalists have been convicted by military courts, stirring concern among
human rights organisations and media watchdogs.
Two journalists working for an
independent newspaper are to stand trial for "defaming" judges in an
article published in 2012, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported on
Monday.
Al-Masry Al-Youm's former managing editor Magdy Al-Gelaad and reporter Mohamed Senhuri
are to appear before a criminal court for "publishing defamatory
information," after a complaint filed by the influential Judges' Club.
In an article in the newspaper on
January 15, 2012, the two quoted Hisham al-Genina, then president of the Court
of Appeal in Cairo, as charging that a Judges' Club election lacked
transparency.
Genina, who is now president of the
public Central Auditing Organisation, has also been referred to trial, MENA
reported.
The trial, for which a date has not yet
been set, comes as the committee drafting a new constitution gave its initial
approval of an article barring journalists from being jailed for their reports.
The new constitution is to be adopted
through a referendum expected to be held in December.
Egypt's constitution was suspended when
the army removed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi from power on July 3.
Since October, three Egyptian
journalists have already been convicted by military courts, stirring concern
among human rights organisations and media watchdogs.
Two
of them have been sentenced to six-month suspended jail terms for
photographing or visiting military sites without
authorisation in the Sinai peninsula bordering Gaza.
The
third has been sentenced to one year in prison for impersonating an army
officer.
Source: DCMF
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