Court says Al-Ahram editor should be fired

An Administrative Court ruling has officially cancelled the appointment of Abdel Nasser Salama, chief editor of Al-Ahram, the state’s flagship newspaper.

Abdel Nasser Salama was appointed by the Shura Council, when it was dominated by Islamists such as members of former President Mohamed Morsi’s Freedom and Justice Party and the conservative Salafist Nour Party.

Al-Ahram’s general assembly fired Salama shortly after Morsi was deposed and the Shura Council was dissolved by interim President Adly Mansour on July 5, along with Mamdouh al-Wali, head of Al-Ahram media institution.

Tuesday’s court ruling said Salama could not be editor because legally state media personnel can’t mix writing and advertising. He was head of advertising from 2010.

Although Salama was appointed by Morsi allies, it did not stop him from writing an intense editorial titled “A final appeal” on June 28 before protesters were set to fill the streets two days later.

“It is an indisputable fact that the future of this country was subject to a handful of politicians who were seduced by power over the last couple of years,” he wrote. “And now, the country in less than 48 hours could fall into the hands of thugs and convicts.”

On July 1, Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced that Morsi would have to resign from the presidency within 48 hours. A week later, Al-Ahram’s general assembly decided to fire Salama and Wali.