New York, July 8, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the recent suspension of Al-Sada, the weekly newspaper of the Takaful party, a small Egyptian political group.

Al-Sada editor Yasser Barakat told CPJ that the paper was suspended on June 25, and that agents from State Security Investigation department called in Essam Abdel Razek, the president of the paper's board of directors and head of the party, for questioning that day.

Barakat said that although no exact reason was given for the suspension, agents cited the paper's harsh criticism of the United States and Israel. Barakat said he has received no official notification on whether or not the papers' suspension is permanent, but the publication remains out of print.

Al-Sada has been in circulation since February 2003.