Dissident editor says sacked over policy

The editor of an Egyptian opposition newspaper has said he was sacked for refusing to bring the paper more into line with government policy, prompting a small protest on Wednesday.

Ibrahim Eissa, the former editor-in-chief of al-Dustor, said he was sacked for insisting on publishing an article by Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of U.N. nuclear inspectors who is mooted as a potential opposition candidate for president.

“What is wanted is absolute silence on the part of the press as parliamentary and presidential elections approach,” Eissa told al-Jazeera television on Tuesday, discussing his sacking.

Concern over a clampdown on media freedom has increased ahead of elections. Egypt’s TV and press were restricted to government-controlled programmes prior to 2004. But over the past five years privately owned press and media produced coverage that was more critical of government policies.

Sayyid al-Badawi, who heads the Wafd liberal party and purchased al-Dustor last month, denied editorial control was involved and said Eissa had been sacked for budgetary reasons.

About a dozen protesters, outnumbered by police, gathered outside Wafd’s headquarters in central Cairo on Wednesday evening to protest against Eissa’s sacking, chanting slogans in praise of Eissa and critical of Badawi and the government.

“The free press is the nation’s conscience. Don’t kill al-Dustor,” one of the protest placards said.

Despite Eissa’s sacking, Al-Dustor published ElBaradei’s article, which criticised the pace of development in Egypt, on Wednesday.

Eissa said this was done to save face after Badawi got rid of him and his team of editors. Four other journalists and editors were fired.

Eissa is known for his scathing critiques of the government and hardline Islamists. He was accused of harming the country’s economy and sentenced to two months jail in 2008 after writing about President Hosni Mubarak’s health.

Mubarak, 82, whose candidacy to succeed himself is uncertain in next year’s presidential elections, later pardoned him.

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