A court on Tuesday adjourned to 24 April an appeal case filed by actor Adel Imam, who received a three-month jail sentence for insulting Islam in films and plays.
A misdemeanor court in February convicted Imam of contempt of religion, which is criminalized under Article 98(f) of the Egyptian penal code.
On Tuesday, the court held its court session. Imam — one of the Arab world’s most famous comic actors — failed to show up, state-run news agency MENA reported.
Imam’s lawyer has told the court that the actor didn’t insult religion, adding that the sentence is a violation of Imam’s right to freedom of expression.
State-run Al-Ahram newspaper on Monday quoted Imam’s lawyer as saying that the statute of limitations on the case has run out and pled innocence for his defendant, saying all the movies and plays Imam acted in had been approved by censorship authorities.
The case against Imam was brought by Asran Mansour, a lawyer with ties to Islamist groups.
Mansour accused Imam of blasphemy and ridiculing Islam and its symbols, including beards and the jilbab — a loose-fitting garment worn by some Muslims — in movies such as “Morgan Ahmed Morgan,” “Al-Irahby (The Terrorist)” and the widely seen play “Al-Zaeem” (The Leader).
