The prosecution on Monday released prominent journalist Ibrahim Eissa after hearing his testimony in a case against him by Islamist lawyer Mamdouh Ismail accusing the editor-in-chief of Tahrir newspaper of defaming religion and ridiculing the Quran and Sharia.
In the investigations, Eissa said he had no intention to insult religion. In his report, Ismail charged that on his television show on al-Qahera Wal Nas satellite channel, Eissa had mocked Islam.
A video allegedly shows Eissa sarcastically saying that if someone pickpockets a wallet their hand will be cut according to Sharia, but if they steal LE2 billion from the bank their hand will not be cut off, while the audience laughs and claps. The complaint claims that his comments ridicule Sharia.
Edited translation from MENA
