Dostour Editor Fired

Ibrahim Eissa, outspoken Editor of the independent Egyptian opposition newspaper Al-Dostour, has been fired by the paper's new owner, reportedly at least in part because of his plans to publish an article by Mohamed ElBaradei.

Eissa, who has been prosecuted a number of times, was fired by Sayyid Badawi, a wealthy businessman who bought the paper recently and who also heads the opposition Wafd Party. (Al-Dostour is not, however, a Wafd-leaning paper.) Eissa wass the founding Editor of the maverick Al-Dostour.

Once the firing was announced many of the journalists issued statements supporting Eissa, and the newspaper's website has several articles about the issue, including the one by ElBaradei (Arabic), so the story may not be over just yet. The journalists have published a statement on Facebook, There are reports that a Deputy Editor of the Wafdist newspaper Al-Wafd would replace Eissa.

Eissa has appeared on Al Jazeera and it's on YouTube (Arabic):



It's being claimed that the government wants to silence Eissa and may have put pressure on Badawi. That this is all connected with the succession issue seems to be taken for granted by Eissa and his supporters.

UPDATES: Thoughts on the subject from The Arabist and Zeinobia; Bikya Masr has the Dostour journalists' letter in English as well as an analysis.