Profile: Former Al-Ahram’s Editor-in-chief dies at age of 84

CAIRO – 1 January 2018: After years of achieving great successes in journalism, the Former Al-Ahram’s Editor-in-chief and Journalists Syndicate, Ibrahim Nafie, passed away Sunday at 84 years old.

After graduating from the Faculty of Law, Ain Shams University, in 1956, Nafie worked as a reporter in many institutions, including Reuters News Agency and Al Goumhoria newspaper; then, as head of the economic section at Al-Ahram daily.

He served as a Chairman of the Al-Ahram Organisation's Board of Directors and Chief Editor of the daily Al-Ahram for many successive years, starting from 1979.

Besides his sweeping success in the field of journalism because of his well-written articles that tackled national and international issues, he also wrote many page-turning books, including “The Wind of Democracy” and “Years of Risk”.

For six terms, he was a Press Syndicate Chairman, and became Head of the General Federation of Arab Journalists from 1996 to 2012.

Believing in freedom of the press, he exerted efforts in defending the freedom of journalism. During his term the syndicate terminated law No. 93 of 1995, which restricts freedom of the press, and called for issuing law No. 96 of 1996, stressing that journalism should exercise its responsibility freely.

During his term, the Press Syndicate established a press building with halls for training, conferences and a symposium to prepare youth journalists for developments.

Nafie was accused of profiteering and misuse of public funds. Investigation referred that Nafie was implicated in a number of financial malpractices, including profiteering and misappropriation of public funds.

The request indicated that the charges leveled against Nafie came from three sources: Al-Ahram's former legal consultant, Mostafa El-Bortoqali; editor of the independent weekly Al-Osbou, Mostafa Bakri; and Saad El-Halawani, who works in Al-Ahram's advertising department.

However, Nafie repeatedly defended himself, saying that these allegations came as part of an ongoing smear campaign against him.

Before the public prosecutor issued a travel ban against him and had his assets frozen in 2012, he headed to the United Arab of Emirates, where he received cancer treatment.