Pharmacists Syndicate's head suspended after assault on journalists

CAIRO – 24 December 2018: State Council Administrative Court ordered the suspension of the General Assembly of the Egyptian Pharmacists Syndicate, and the syndicate's head from exercising his duties.

The decision comes as a consequence for the incident that took place inside the headquarters of the press syndicate last Monday (Dec. 17) when security personnel at the Egyptian Pharmacists Syndicate assaulted four journalists and took their phones, including Mohamed el-Garnoussi and Atef Badr from Al-Masry al-Yom, Esraa Soliman from Al-Watan and Aya De'bes from Youm7.

A security guard of the syndicate was subsequently arrested and detained for four days pending investigation.

The Press Syndicate denounced the assault of four journalists and the detention of 15 others inside the Pharmacists Syndicate while covering the syndicate's election. The Press Syndicate referred that the attack was carried out by the security guard of the head of the Pharmacists Syndicate.

It also announced in a statement on the same day of the incident that it would file complaints to General Prosecutor Nabil Sadek against the head of the Press Syndicate, saying that the attacks that caused injuries in the body, face and eyes of the journalists will not pass unpunished.

In response to the wave of criticism and journalists' angry writings, the head of the Press Syndicate issued a demand to General Prosecutor Sadek asking for a publication ban in the issue.

Egyptian Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal affirmed on Saturday the necessity to ensure the freedom of press and media during performing their work.

Abdel Aal expressed his complete rejection of assaulting a number of journalists from the three different newspapers, affirming that freedom of opinion is a fundamental human right.