As the question of who will succeed President Hosni Mubarak draws near with the ruling party’s upcoming annual conference in October, the pressure grows on those who speak out their mind on the subject. Many journalists believe that Mubarak and his wife Suzanne have slated their son Gamal to ascend to the presidency; some have also picked up on rumors about Mubarak’s failing health. This is where the government’s tolerance has apparently run out. Ibrahim Eissa, editor of the Al Dustour newspaper, and three other journalists critical of the government have just been sentenced to jail for allegedly defaming Mr. Mubarak and his son.
As the Christian Science Monitor reports, this crackdown on the press is unprecedented in recent Egyptian history, since never before have four editors been tried and convicted at the same time. Mustapha Kamel al-Said, a professor of political science at Cairo University, comments:
- “For some time the government has been hardening its position on opposition movements, and the sentences for the journalists are within this context. This kind of nervous reaction on the part of the government reflects its anxiety about what comes next.”
Hisham Kassem, publisher of Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egypt’s first independent daily paper in 50 years, and recipient of the National Endowment for Democracy’s 2007 Democracy Award, adds that the fact that Egypt is one of only 12 states that impose prison sentences for libel “makes the press a risky investment, which is plainly bad, because all press must be owned by private, joint-stock companies without political agendas if we’re to have a free flow of information.”
The official website of the Egyptian Presidency states that the Constitution “declares that Egypt is an Arab Republic with a democratic system.” But just under what type of democratic system journalists are harassed and freedom of speech curtailed? If President Mubarak is concerned about leaving behind positive legacy, his attention should be drawn to the country’s pressing problems rather than to silencing critical voices. For instance, the government has not been able so far to solve the large unemployment problem and failed to achieve Mr. Mubarak’s campaign promise of creating 4.5 million new jobs. This recent crackdown on the freedom of the press, however, leaves little hope for greater economic freedom that could help Egypt meet its growing employment needs.
Published Date: September 21, 2007