The Giza Criminal Court sentenced a journalist at “Sout Al-Oma” newspaper to two years in prison and fined editor-in-chief Abdel Halim Qandil EGP 20,000 for defamation against Minister of Justice Ahmed El-Zind.

The Judges Club filed a complaint against journalist Mohamed Saad Khatab and Abdel Halim Qandil, accusing them of defamation by publishing an article. The article accused El-Zind, during his presidency tenor at the Judges Club and first deputy of the club Abed Allah Fathy, of receiving bribes from companies that implement housing projects through the club.

El-Zind filed the complaint in 2014, accusing the newspaper of publishing false news in an article called “El-Zind failed to profit his son with land bought from the Judges Club in Port Said”.