CAIRO: Head of the Journalists' Syndicate Makram Mohamed Ahmed has petitioned Egypt's Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud to stop the implementation of the prison sentence against Ibrahim Eissa, local media reported Monday. On Sunday Al-Dostour editor-in-chief lost his appeal of the prison sentence handed down to him when the Abbaseyya appeals court sentenced him to two months imprisonment for "publishing false information of a nature to disturb public order or security. In August 2007 Al-Dostour published articles suggesting that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is in ill-health. In March the New Cairo criminal court found in favor of the prosecution's claim that the articles had a detrimental effect on the national economy. Journalists' Syndicate head Ahmed is said to have interceded through a telephone call to the prosecutor general on Sunday requesting that implementation of the verdict be stopped. Eissa's defense team has also petitioned for this. Eissa's wife, Amira Abdel-Fattah, told Daily News Egypt that Eissa is waiting for the outcome of this appeal. "I think that Ibrahim will go to prison after the Eid vacation: we still don't know which prison he will go to or where he will turn himself in, Abdel-Fattah said. "He's prepared his suitcase and is ready to go. We've received a promise that he won't be taken during the Eid vacation but anything could happen - they could come and take him because this promise was only made verbally. "We're waiting to see what the response to Ahmed's appeal is, she continued. Abdel-Fattah says that the family is drawing strength during the ordeal from media support for Eissa. "Ibrahim is fine, and will probably return to work this evening. We're getting support from the media - yesterday journalists held a protest outside the Journalists' Syndicate, and another one is planned for today - and this support is helping us a lot.
