CAIRO: An Egyptian court sentenced the head of the journalists’ union and two board members to two years in prison on Saturday for harbouring colleagues wanted by the law and spreading false news, judicial sources and their lawyer said.

Amnesty International condemned the sentences as “a new stage of a crackdown on media and freedom of expression”.

The verdict comes amid efforts by Egyptian authorities to quell rising dissent against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the economy deteriorates.

Union chief Yehia Qalash and the two board members, Khaled al-Balshy and Gamal Abdel Rahim, can appeal the decision. A bail of 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($623) has been set for each of them.

“The three of us have been put on trial (but) the target is the whole syndicate,” Qalash told dozens of journalists and union officials who gathered at the syndicate headquarters after the verdict.

Union officials called for an emergency syndicate meeting this weekend to discuss how to respond to the verdict.

Riot police and armoured vehicles filled the streets surrounding the building.

The verdict marks the first time for a head of the journalists’ syndicate to be put on trial since the union was founded 75 years ago.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2016