Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CAIRO1305
2009-07-09 12:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:
GOE JAILS JOURNALIST CONVICTED OF DEFAMATION REF: A. CAIRO 1231 B. CAIRO 284 C. CAIRO 180 D. 08 CAIRO 2152 E. 08 CAIRO 2122 Classified By: Economic-Political Minister-Counselor Donald Blome for reason 1.4 (d).
how-toVZCZCXRO9106 PP RUEHROV DE RUEHEG #1305 1901206 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 091206Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3150 INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001305
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ELA AND DRL/NESCA
NSC FOR KUMAR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2029
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: GOE JAILS JOURNALIST CONVICTED OF DEFAMATION REF: A. CAIRO 1231 B. CAIRO 284 C. CAIRO 180 D. 08 CAIRO 2152 E. 08 CAIRO 2122 Classified By: Economic-Political Minister-Counselor Donald Blome for reason 1.4 (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001305
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ELA AND DRL/NESCA
NSC FOR KUMAR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2029
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: GOE JAILS JOURNALIST CONVICTED OF DEFAMATION REF: A. CAIRO 1231 B. CAIRO 284 C. CAIRO 180 D. 08 CAIRO 2152 E. 08 CAIRO 2122 Classified By: Economic-Political Minister-Counselor Donald Blome for reason 1.4 (d).
1.(C) On July 6 at 11 PM, police arrested independent newspaper editor Yasser Barakat outside his office to implement the six-month prison term handed down against him on June 24. Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Barakat on June 24 to six months in prison and fined him LE 20,000 (3,500 USD) for allegedly defaming MP Mustafa Bakry in a November 2007 article entitled, "Bakry, Sawiris and Syrian Intelligence" (ref A). Barakat is editor-in-chief of the virtually unknown paper "Al-Moagaz," and Bakry who has close ties to MOI State Security Investigative Services (SSIS) is editor-in-chief of the sensationalist weekly tabloid "Al-Osboa." Barakat's lawyers released a statement July 7 urging the Press Syndicate "to take all possible measures" to facilitate his release from prison.
2.(C) Member of the quasi-governmental National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) and Secretary-General of the independent Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) Hafez Abu Seada told us EOHR will issue a statement calling on President Mubarak to intervene to free Barakat from jail. Abu Seada said that he will also ask the NCHR to raise the issue with the GOE. Abu Seada noted that Barakat is the only journalist currently in jail on defamation charges. Sayed Abdelhafez of the Multaqa Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue told us that the Press Syndicate is lobbying the Public Prosecutor (Egypt's Attorney-General equivalent) to release Barakat and allow his lawyers to appeal the case. Abdelhafez said such an arrest to implement a prison sentence is legal, but unusual.
3.(C) Comment: The GOE's decision to jail Barakat is significant for being the only case in recent memory of a journalist sent to prison for defamation. Human rights contacts could not recall another such instance from the past several years. The unexpected arrest closely following the June 24 sentencing could be due to MP Mustafa Bakry's influence with MOI State Security. The Press Syndicate's lobbying for Barakat could turn out to be significant, as the efforts of the syndicate's president, who is close to the ruling National Democratic Party, probably played an important role in President Mubarak's October 2008 decision to preemptively commute the jail term of the last journalist sentenced to prison (ref D). SCOBEY
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ELA AND DRL/NESCA
NSC FOR KUMAR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2029
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: GOE JAILS JOURNALIST CONVICTED OF DEFAMATION REF: A. CAIRO 1231 B. CAIRO 284 C. CAIRO 180 D. 08 CAIRO 2152 E. 08 CAIRO 2122 Classified By: Economic-Political Minister-Counselor Donald Blome for reason 1.4 (d).
1.(C) On July 6 at 11 PM, police arrested independent newspaper editor Yasser Barakat outside his office to implement the six-month prison term handed down against him on June 24. Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Barakat on June 24 to six months in prison and fined him LE 20,000 (3,500 USD) for allegedly defaming MP Mustafa Bakry in a November 2007 article entitled, "Bakry, Sawiris and Syrian Intelligence" (ref A). Barakat is editor-in-chief of the virtually unknown paper "Al-Moagaz," and Bakry who has close ties to MOI State Security Investigative Services (SSIS) is editor-in-chief of the sensationalist weekly tabloid "Al-Osboa." Barakat's lawyers released a statement July 7 urging the Press Syndicate "to take all possible measures" to facilitate his release from prison.
2.(C) Member of the quasi-governmental National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) and Secretary-General of the independent Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) Hafez Abu Seada told us EOHR will issue a statement calling on President Mubarak to intervene to free Barakat from jail. Abu Seada said that he will also ask the NCHR to raise the issue with the GOE. Abu Seada noted that Barakat is the only journalist currently in jail on defamation charges. Sayed Abdelhafez of the Multaqa Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue told us that the Press Syndicate is lobbying the Public Prosecutor (Egypt's Attorney-General equivalent) to release Barakat and allow his lawyers to appeal the case. Abdelhafez said such an arrest to implement a prison sentence is legal, but unusual.
3.(C) Comment: The GOE's decision to jail Barakat is significant for being the only case in recent memory of a journalist sent to prison for defamation. Human rights contacts could not recall another such instance from the past several years. The unexpected arrest closely following the June 24 sentencing could be due to MP Mustafa Bakry's influence with MOI State Security. The Press Syndicate's lobbying for Barakat could turn out to be significant, as the efforts of the syndicate's president, who is close to the ruling National Democratic Party, probably played an important role in President Mubarak's October 2008 decision to preemptively commute the jail term of the last journalist sentenced to prison (ref D). SCOBEY