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TV host jailed in Egypt after appearing to advocate for unmarried sex

Doaa Salah was jailed for outraging public decency.

Just days after an Egyptian lawyer advocated rape on Egyptian television, a female TV presenter has been jailed for three years after she appeared to cast single motherhood in a positive light.

On her show, Doaa Salah discussed ways of becoming pregnant outside a conventional husband-and-wife relationship.

The presenter was charged with outraging public decency.

Sex before or outside marriage is widely regarded as unacceptable in socially conservative Egypt.

According to the BBC, Ms Salah discussed ways of becoming pregnant outside a conventional marriage on her show on Al-Nahar TV.

She reportedly suggested a husband could be paid for a brief marriage, and also told her audience that sperm donation was accepted in Western countries — but not in Egypt.

Raping women a 'national duty'

Ms Salah's sentence came just days after a prominent Egyptian lawyer reportedly said on television that raping women who wear ripped jeans was a "national duty".

Nabih al-Wahsh was appearing on satellite channel Al-Assema discussing a draft law on fighting prostitution and inciting debauchery, according to local media.

"I say that when a girl walks about like that, it is a patriotic duty to sexually harass her and a national duty to rape her," he reportedly said.

Egypt's National Council for Women filed a complaint with the country's Supreme Council for Media Regulation and planned to raise the issue with the Attorney-General.

Mr al-Wahsh caused controversy last year after his televised debate over women's headwear with liberal Australian cleric Mostafa Rashid descended into violence.

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