World
Page 12
THE BATTALION
Monday, September 17,'
Editor sentenced to
three years in prison
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — The editor of a news
paper whose story on a monk’s alleged sex-and-
blackmail scheme sparked riots was convicted
Sunday of undermining public security and sen
tenced to three years in prison.
In its ruling against Mamdouh Mahran, editor
of-the small weekly Al-Nabaa, the court did not
say whether the allegations in the article were
true, but it may issue a more comprehensive ver
dict later.
Mahran, who was not in court Sunday, pub
lished a story in June claiming that a Coptic
Orthodox monk had sex with women in a southern
Egyptian monastery and then blackmailed them.
A lawyer for the Coptic Orthodox Church said
the sentence for the monk, who has been
defrocked, was too lenient.
“Three years is not enough. We expected a
more deterrent sentence,” said the lawyer, Naguib
Gobraiell.
The article, illustrated with blurred photo
graphs, caused an outcry. The church condemned
it, saying the man was no longer a monk and deny
ing that any sex occurred inside the monastery.
Hundreds of Copts demonstrated in Cairo and
clashed with police.
The Emergency State Security Court in Cairo
was ringed by heavy security Sunday as it con
victed Mahran of publishing material that under
mined public security and inciting the public
against Christian clerics.
A few people in the courtroom applauded the
ruling, shouting “Long live justice!”
In addition to the prison sentence, the judges
lined Mahran $47 and ordered the confiscation of
the June 17 edition of Al-Nabaa and the videotape
from which the photographs taken.
Defense lawyers criticized the judgment.
“This is a (politically) motivated and hasty ver
dict,” lawyer Nabih el-Wahsh told the Associated
Press.
The verdict and sentence can be appealed only
to President Hosni Mubarak.
The Press Syndicate supported the Church’s
protests over the article and revoked Mahran’s
membership, preventing him from working as a
journalist. However, Mahran successfully
appealed to Egypt's Administrative Court.
Copts make up about 10 percent the population
of mostly Muslim Egypt.
Picture perfect
NEWS IN BRIEF
Earthquake shakes
Greece but no
injuries reported
KALAMATA, Greece (AP)
— A moderate earthquake rat
tled southern Greece on
Sunday, causing damage to
some churches and homes.
There were no serious injuries,
reports said.
The quake, which had a pre
liminary magnitude of 5.2,
occurred at 5:01 a.m. with an
epicenter roughly 18 miles
north of Kalamata near the
southern tip of the Greek main
land, the Athens Geodynamic
Institute said.
At least two churches suf
fered large cracks and other
structural damage. Some
homes — mostly vacant, older
dwellings previously damaged
by quakes — collapsed or lost
walls, reports said.
An earthquake of magnitude
2.5 to 3 is the smallest general
ly felt by people. A quake of
magnitude 5 can cause moder
ate damage.
Gunmen raid village,
at least 11 killed
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)
— Members of a right-wing
paramilitary group raided a
Colombian village early Sunday
and killed at least 11 people,
authorities said.
National Police spokes
woman Jenny Alvarado said up
to 15 people may have been
executed in the early morning
massacre near the township of
Falan, some 74 miles west of
the capital. Bogota.
Fighters from the United
Self-Defense Forces of
Colombia, or AUC, killed the
villagers after accusing them of
working with leftist guerrillas,
said Tolima Police Col. Ciro
Chitiva.
Authorities from the attorney
general’s office and the govern-
ment's human rights office were |
heading to the region in Tolirna j
state to investigate. Police said
four people were badly injured j
in the massacre.
NEWS
Recent dev
related to a
SltSAKI VltlANt’IYA '
Nine-year-old Anne Marie Wymola of Bryan shows her best surprised face in an emotions relay,
ing a childrens’ literacy program at the Bryan Public Library on Sunday. Libraries in both Bryan am
Station recently began offering children's literacy programs guided by Texas A&M education maji
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Program
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Squash
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Cost
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Upcoming Event
Registration
Event Date J
rrr rs
Intro To Rock Climbing
Sept.
3-
-Sept.
19
Sept.
22 1
k bu
Kayak Open Practice
Sept.
3-
-Sept.
24
Sept.
25 ! 1
Rock Climb Enchanted Rock
Sept.
3-
-Sept.
25
Sept. 28-
-30 |
ireausi
Fly Fishing/Canoe Trip
Sept.
3-
-Sept.
25
Sept.
29 I
Into To Rock Climbing
Sept.
3-
-Sept.
26
Sept.
30
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September 19—Eating Well on Campus-ls It Possible?
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October 1 7—Fad Diets: What is the meaning of this Madness?
tomorroi
Recasts
Ww w.vveath,