An Egyptian court sentenced an editor to one year in jail on Wednesday for publishing a newspaper without a licence, the state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported, Reuters has reported. The ruling permitted Ahmad Baker Seleem, editor of the Cairo Today newspaper, to pay 10,000 Egyptian Pounds ($1,845) in bail pending appeal, MENA reported.
The sentence was handed down after the Cairo court heard a complaint against Seleem from a rival newspaper editor, who accused him of defamation, and found that Seleem had not obtained a licence to publish the newspaper. Publishing licenses are granted by the Supreme Press Council, which is part of the upper house of parliament and dominated by members of the ruling party.
The council has granted more licenses to independent newspapers in recent years. Human rights groups, however, have criticised the government for not abolishing laws that allow for the jailing of journalists in publishing cases.
