Previous Editor in Chief of Al-Masry Al-Youm Magdy Al-Galad, Councellor Hesham Genena and Editor Mohamed Al-Sanhoury were referred to the Criminal Court on Monday for public defamation through publication of the Judge's Club, according to MENA. The original statements were made by Genena in a newspaper interview in which he said that the "Judge's Club election is a farce" accusing Al-Zend "of distorting the image of the independent judges movement," on 16 January last year. Investigations alleged that Genena defamed the president of the Judges Club and the club's integrity during the interview before the investigative judge ordered their referral to the Urgent Matters Criminal Court where they will face trial. Fahd Al-Banna, lawyer from the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, said: "In some cases, it is justifiable to sue publications that call for violence and sectarianism; however, it is unjustifiable to sue employees of a publication if they publish an opinion." Genena was the previous Chairman of the Appeals Court and was appointed by ousted President Mohamed Morsi as head of the Central Auditing Organisation. According to the referral order, "Al-Galad is being tried for failing to perform the duty imposed by law, which stipulates that the editor should oversee the interview. Due to Al-Galad not following proper career protocol of editing phrases that constitute a violation of the law," he will be referred to trial.
