New head of Egypt’s Press Syndicate to Jusoor Post: File of imprisoned journalists to be opened mainly for negotiation

Prominent Egyptian opposition journalist Khaled El-Balshy, whose website has been blocked by the Egyptian authorities since March 2020, was elected to be the new head of the Journalists Syndicate, and he has promised to open the file of imprisoned journalists for discussion with the authorities to seek their release.

The Judicial Committee supervising the elections announced on Friday, March 17, that 50-year-old Khaled El-Balshy won the position of President of the Journalists Syndicate after garnering a total of 2,450 votes, beating pro-government candidate Khaled Meiry, who obtained 2,211 votes.

During the election day at the headquarters of the Journalists Syndicate, dozens of journalists and reporters expressed their desire to choose Balshy, who is famous for defending the rights of journalists. Some of the voters voiced the need to get rid of all pro-government candidates in order to put an end to the authorities’ monopoly on journalism and the media industry.

Balshy, who won the Individual Activist award of the Nelson Mandela - Graca Machel Innovation Awards in 2017, was an editor-in-chief for several news websites like Al-Badil, Al-Wadi News, Kateb, and Al Bidaya newspaper. He is currently the editor-in-chief of the blocked website Darb, which was founded by the Socialist People's Alliance Party in February 2020.

“This is a call for everyone to work together...The easy stage is over. What comes next needs our cooperation for a union that expresses you, protects your interests, and defends a profession that we all care about,” he said in a thank-you message to all journalists on his Facebook page.

In special remarks to Jusoor Post, Balshy said that the Journalists Syndicate has many files open for discussion, including the freedom of expression and the imprisoned journalists.

"I hope that important achievements can happen regarding [releasing imprisoned journalists]. We will discuss all the details and negotiate with all the parties about it […] but what we can promise is that this file will be opened mainly for negotiation,” he said.

Balshy revealed that he submitted a request to the Presidential Pardon Committee to release the imprisoned journalists a few days before the elections, adding, “This issue is very important to me, and I care that it will end. I see that there is room for negotiation on this matter.”

He also noted that all other files will be open and are subject to negotiation in parallel, including the necessary work of revamping the syndicate’s committees and offices and increasing the monthly salaries of journalists.

Balshy was a board member of the syndicate and the head of its Freedoms Committee when, for the first time ever, the security forces stormed the syndicate in May 2016 to arrest two journalists who had sought shelter in the syndicate after arrest warrants had been issued against them for accusations of “inciting to breach the anti-protest law.” This came as part of a larger campaign of arrests after hundreds of Egyptian journalists, human rights defenders, and others protested outside the syndicate building in April 2016 against Egypt handing over the two disputed islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. The day following the arrests, journalists gathered again to protest against the unprecedented storming of the syndicate and the arrest of the two journalists.

Along with former Journalists Syndicate head Yahia Al Qalash and board member Gamal Abdel-Rahim, Balshy was charged by the authorities with “harboring” the wanted two journalists. One year later, the three board members were sentenced to one year in jail each, although the execution of the sentence was suspended.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said that the number of the imprisoned journalists in Egypt reached 21 persons as of December 2022.