Veteran Al-Ahram journalist found hanged at work

CAIRO: A veteran journalist who worked for one of Egypt’s oldest newspapers was found hanged in a suspected suicide early Thursday.
Emad Al-Fekky, 54, worked in the news section at Al-Ahram. Local media reported he had used a rope to hang himself near the window of his fourth-floor office.
A worker in a church adjacent to Al-Ahram’s office saw Al-Fekky’s decapitated head near a barrier between the two buildings and alerted authorities.
It was reported in local media that the heavy weight of Al-Fekky’s body was what caused the head to become detached and fall from the fourth floor onto the ground.
The case is being investigated by prosecutors, who are reported to have summoned his family and coworkers for further questioning.
Reports said Al-Fekky had been deprived of promotions, incentives, and bonuses and that his salary had been cut in recent years.
Other reports said he had suffered financial hardship in the final few months before his death.
Coworkers were reported as saying that Al-Fekky was cheerful, loved to joke, and always had good relations with his colleagues.
Al-Ahram’s editor-in-chief, Alaa Thabet, refused to comment on the incident until the investigations were complete.
Mahmoud Kamel, a board member of the country’s Journalists’ Syndicate, suggested on Facebook that Al-Fekky chose to end his life in his office to send a message to the “unfair” editor-in-chief who, he alleged, had driven him to suicide.
Thabet denied Kamel’s allegations and notified the syndicate that he would be taking legal action against him.

Veteran Al-Ahram journalist found hanged at work