Egyptian TV presenter sentenced to year in jail for interviewing gay prostitute
An Egyptian court has sentenced a television presenter to a year in prison for interviewing a gay sex worker on his chat show.
Mohammed el-Gheiti was found guilty of encouraging immorality following a segment in which the guest described his profession.
El-Gheiti was also fined 3,000 Egyptian pounds (£130). He can appeal and is free pending a final verdict.
#Egypt sinking deeper-into dangerous #conservatism: https://t.co/zclMJt1NfE
— North Africa Journal (@northafrica) January 20, 2019
Egypt has waged a crackdown on homosexuality in recent years, imprisoning people on vague charges of "debauchery".
Homosexuality is not a crime but is widely seen as taboo in the conservative, Muslim-majority country, while prostitution is illegal.
In September 2017 dozens of people were arrested after an LGBT rainbow flag was waved at a Cairo concert.
Charges against El-Gheiti stemmed from a complaint filed by Samir Sabry, a lawyer who has has previously taken other high profile Egyptian media figures to court.
The interview was broadcast in August on the LTC TV channel, which is privately owned.
El-Gheiti himself has previously expressed his opposition to homosexuality.
The interviewee had his face disguised and spoke about how he regretted being a prostitute.
Mr Sabry argued that in broadcasting the interview El-Gheiti had publicised that "practicing homosexuality" could lead to financial rewards.
In November the same lawyer launched a case against Rania Youssef, an Egyptian actress, who was charged with "immorality and promoting vice".
She had appeared at the Cairo Film Festival wearing a black leotard covered by a see-through overdress. The case was later dropped after she apologised.
Mr Sabry has claimed to have launched over 2,700 legal cases, stretching back decades, against defendants including actors, entertainers and belly dancers.
Following El-Gheiti's interview his television channel was suspended for two weeks by Egypt’s supreme council for media regulation.
Last year, an Egyptian court sentenced a little-known singer called Shyma to two years in jail for inciting debauchery after she appeared in a music video in her underwear.
