Egyptian judicial authorities are investigating outspoken videos on YouTube and other publishing sites that have gone viral on social media, including that of Lebanese Mona Mazbouh as well as Egyptian Amal Fathi, who are in custody.
Mazboun’s video, which was posted on her social media account, went viral when it was later published on YouTube to be viewed by hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Mazbouh tried to apologize in another video, but lawyers had already filed complaints against her, prompting the Public Prosecutor to demand her arrest on charges of "insulting the Egyptians".
Chief Prosecutor Nabil Sadek charged Mazbouh with "producing and broadcasting content which is indecent through her personal profile on Facebook."
Her arrest came before her departure from Cairo International Airport after the Public Prosecutor's Office ordered Mazbouh's detention for 15 days pending investigation.
Mazbouh’s arrest came after the State Security Prosecutor questioned human rights activist Amal Fathi, who had started a live video on her Facebook page, criticizing her treatment at a bank. She said she faced verbal harassment, launching a scathing attack at the bank, which then filed a lawsuit against her.
Lawyer and jurist Ihab Radhi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the use of social media to broadcast obscene language is punishable by Egyptian law in line with the provisions of the Penal Code and the Telecommunications Law.
He explained that in the case of the Lebanese citizen, the legal description of the charges against her by the Public Prosecutor's Office and her referral to a criminal trial came as a result of her verbal assault on a large segment of the Egyptian society and her efforts to undermine the reputation of Egyptian women and men.
In case Mazbouh was found guilty, Radhi explained, that she will be imprisoned not fined.
As for whether the arrest of persons after expressing their personal opinions on their own accounts represents a violation of the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution and the law, Radhi stated that according to Egyptian law, the limit between freedom of expression and insult and slander is the usage of certain terms.
The law guarantees freedom of expression and criticizing the government or the ministers, for instance, however it doesn't allow it through slander.
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