A committee in the Press Syndicate on Saturday started receiving nomination requests of syndicate board elections, of which the first round will take place in March, reported state-run media outlet Egy News.

The new members of the syndicate’s board will be elected by the journalists registered with the syndicate. The committee, that is dedicated to follow the elections, will receive last nomination requests until 15 February at noon.

A number of journalists have expressed their interest in running for the position of head of the syndicate. Among those journalists is press advocate Amr Badr, who was previously detained for calling for unlicensed protests in connection with the “Red Sea Islands” case that sought to transfer the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, in accordance with the Egyptian-Saudi maritime demarcation agreement that was recently annulled by the Administrative Court.

Former head of the Press Syndicate Diaa Rashwan also announced last week that he will run for the position.

Al-Ahram newspaper’s managing editor Abdel Mohsen Salama hosted a press conference, also on Saturday, to announce his candidacy for head of the syndicate. Fellow journalists will attend the conference.

The syndicate suffered unprecedented assaults in 2016, which culminated in a police raid on the syndicate and the trial of current president Yahia Qalash and two of his deputies, Khaled El-Balshy, and Gamal Abdelrahim.

The three leaders in November received two-year prison sentences over charges of harbouring wanted suspects; two journalists, Amr Badr and Mahmoud Al-Saqa. However, the three leaders took the case to the appeal court, which is currently looking into it.