The State Council Administrative Court on Tuesday set 30 October to hear Al-Gomhurriya Editor-in-Chief Gamal Abdel Rahim’s case against his suspension for printing false news about former military leaders.
Shura Council speaker Ahmed Fahmy, who also heads the Supreme Press Council, suspended Rahim after the state-run paper ran a story last Wednesday alleging that former Supreme Council of the Armed Forces leaders Hussein Tantawi and Sami Anan had been banned from travel due to ongoing corruption investigations.
Rahim said in his complaint that the decision to suspend him is “unprecedented” in the history of the Egyptian press and violates Law 96/1996 regulating press which does not allow the suspension of an editor-in-chief under any circumstances.
The complaint goes on point out that the Shura Council appointed Rahim on 8 August for a period of three years, which contradicts the suspension.
The suspension caused an outcry among journalists in Egypt against what they say are Muslim Brotherhood attempts to dominate state media. Both the SCAF and President Mohamed Morsy’s administration quickly issued statements condemning the story.
The Journalists Syndicate issued a statement late on Thursday rejecting the suspension, saying that they would protest Rahim’s removal and would support him in his lawsuit. The syndicate board would also file a lawsuit against Fahmy for violating the syndicate’s regulations.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
