The chairman of Egyptian daily Al-Dustour, Reda Edward, officially notified the Journalists Syndicate on Monday of his refusal to return former editor-in-chief Ibrahim Eissa and former executive Ibrahim Mansour to their positions, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.

Journalists from the independent daily had gathered outside the Higher Press Council's headquarters in Cairo on Monday to protest the paper's new owner's delay in meeting their demands, according to the Daily News Egypt.

Edward told Al-Masry that he agreed to most of the journalists' requests, except the demand for a board of directors, and for the return of Eissa and Mansour. He added that he is calling on the journalists to return to work, and that a new chief editor will be chosen in seven days.

Ibrahim Eissa was dismissed on 5 October within hours of the transfer of Al-Dustour to new owners, including media mogul and opposition Al-Wafd party leader al-Sayyid al-Badawi.

As a WAN-IFRA protest letter sent to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak explained, Eissa reportedly said that the paper's new owners had asked him not to publish an article written by Mohamed ElBaradei, former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency and leader of a political reform movement in Egypt. Within hours of his refusal to remove ElBaradei's article, Eissa was relieved of his duties.

This, according to the Guardian's Jack Shenker, writing for the Arab Press Network, "represents something far more chilling and expansive - and throws up a personal challenge to every journalist working in Egypt today." Other prominent dissident journalists - Alaa Al-Aswany and Hamdi Qandeel - have also been silenced, noted Shenker, who believes that "the result is that the space available in the print media for holding the country's business and political elite to account is being slowly but steadily curtailed."

Ahead of parliamentary elections to be held on 29 November, the apparent clamp down on independent media in the country is not confined to the press. Twelve satellite channels have been shut down and another twenty have been given formal warnings by the government for apparently inciting religious tension, Al Masry said.

Shenker calls for the international press to "raise their game" and "shine an even harsher spotlight on the social, political and economic violations perpetrated against Egyptian citizens by their rulers," noting that foreign media can be a "vital enabler to local media outlets."

Source: Al-Masry Al-Youm, The Daily News Egypt, Arab Press Network