H. E. Muhammad Hosni Mubarak
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Cairo
Egypt

Vienna, 26 February 1998

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI) is deeply concerned about the appellate court decision upholding a libel conviction against Magdi Hussein and Muhammad Hilal, editor-in-chief and reporter, respectively, of the bi-weekly newspaper, al Shaab.

On Tuesday, 24 February 1998, the Boulaq Misdemeanour Appeals Court confirmed a one-year prison sentence against Hussein and Hilal for allegedly libelling Alaa El-Alfi, the son of former Interior Minister Hhassan El-Alfi. The conviction stemmed from a series of articles published in al-Shaab in 1996, which alleged that Alaa El-Alfi had used his father’s position to profit from business deals in Egypt.

In addition to the one-year sentence upheld on 24 February, Hussein is expected to be handed a second one-year sentence that was previously suspended by a criminal court in 1996, but which will be enforced as a result of the appellate court’s decision.

IPI, the global network of editors and media executives in over 100 countries, maintains that journalists should be judged by civil libel laws and not by criminal statutes. We therefore urge Your Excellency to do everything in your power to ensure that the appellate court ruling against Magdi Hussein and Muhammad Hilal is rescinded, and that you initiate meaningful efforts to abolish articles of the Egyptian penal code which set prison terms and fines for libel and misinformation.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director