The Giza Court postponed today’s hearing in the case filed against Amr Khafaga, editor of El-Shorouk newspaper, National Democratic Party MP Mo'emena Kamel, and Hisham El-Miany, a journalist in El-Shorouk, accused of libel having published content deemed insulting to a judicial body and to Walid El-Shafei, a judge who supervised last month's parliamentary elections.
El-Shorouk had published an inteview with Kamel on 4 December where she attacked El-Shafei in strong language and which he deemed insulting. While El-Shorouk has Kamel's interview on tape, the MP says she didn't know she was being recorded. Consequently, the court postponed the case until the recorded interview is inspected, scheduling the next hearing for 21 December.
El-Shafei, who had supervised the election in the 6th of October City constituency where Kamel was running, said that irregularities and vote rigging had taken place. Kamel responded by attacking the judge, prompting El-Shafei to sue the newspaper and Kamel for libel.
Although Kamel enjoys immunity as MP, the court said that at the time of publishing the interview she was not yet elected Member of Parliament.
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