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Former JT chief editor Walid Sadi passes away

By JT - Oct 08,2019 - Last updated at Oct 08,2019

Walid M. Sadi

AMMAN — Walid M. Sadi, a former chief editor, columnist and editorial writer at The Jordan Times, passed away on Monday.

Born in 1939, he built a career that spanned many long decades, Sadi also served as chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights, in addition to leading many human rights and diplomatic delegations to various global capitals.

Among colleagues at the JT, he is remembered for his friendly and affable personality.

Former JT chief editor Samir Barhoum paid tribute to his “long-time friend and colleague”, who served as the chief editor for the newspaper for almost a year some three decades ago. 

He left that post, but stayed with the paper as a columnist and editorial writer, Barhoum said.

“I will always remember him working seriously on an old, noisy typewriter in the pre-computer age. The noise of the office typewriters never stopped us from sharing some stories and jokes. 

“During his breaks, it was a pleasure to have a chat with him about his work during earlier times at the Royal Court with the late King Hussein, as well as with the Jordanian delegation to the UN. Such chats were always enlightening, giving younger colleagues a glimpse into an important part of Jordan’s history,” Barhoum reminisced.

With the advent of the digital era, Sadi started to come less often to the office as he began sending his pieces by e-mail from home or wherever he was travelling, as he was also serving as chairperson of the Geneva-based UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Barhoum said.

He kept paying occasional visits to the office to check on colleagues, have some refreshing discussions on local and regional developments and give advice on areas of his expertise, particularly human rights and international law, Barhoum recalled.

“He was a very friendly colleague and friend, whom I enjoyed working with. It is this friendliness and the peacefulness of his character that I will remember and will miss the most about him. May his soul rest in peace.”

Former JT managing editor Ica Wahbeh, who worked closely with Sadi at the newspaper, remembered Sadi’s “long and impressive” career. 

“Walid Sadi was one of the people I met when I first came to Jordan. A jovial, witty and kind relative who I was sure would be there for a long time to come, the news of his demise — this active, sprightly always on the move person who I have known for close to four decades — came unexpectedly and joltingly,” she said. 

“Walid's long career is impressive, but the one position that was instrumental in my starting to work for The Jordan Times was that of editor-in-chief. 

“He had just finished his tenure at the newspaper, but insisted I should apply, and accompanied me to the director of the foundation for the purpose. 

“That was at the very beginning of 1990, and my ‘humouring’ Walid became a 29-year-long career during which I became his editor, for, although he was no longer at the helm, he would write a regular column for the opinion page,” she remembered.

“Tall, imposing and with a permanent smile in the corner of his twinkly blue eyes, Walid's unassuming manner would hide an astute mind sharpened even more by his study of law, in which he held a doctoral degree,” Wahbeh said. 

"A man ahead of his times, he believed and promoted equality and human rights, and rightfully assumed positions like chairperson of the ICC’s Working Group on Crimes against Humanity, chairman of the Commission on Human Rights, chairman of the Working Group on Crimes against Humanity, and Commissioner-General of the National Centre for Human Rights in Amman, in a career that spanned many long decades," she noted.

“A quiet and decent man, he died the way he lived. May God rest his soul.”

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