Cairo Jan 11th, 2023
Nehad Abulkomsan, Senior lawyer and ECWR’s chairwoman, filed a complaint -on her behalf -to the Public Prosecutor against Yasmine Ezz, a television anchor for MBC MASR for a TV show named “Kalam ElNas”
The reason for this concerns speech that Yasmine Ezz, the Egyptian anchor, broadcasts on her program which is nothing but an incitation to practice violence against Egyptian women, and an invitation for women to accept violence and humiliation.
Her speech also includes sarcasm and a bullying attitude towards the condition of the Egyptian family, the wife and husband. Ezz takes advantage of individual cases circulated on social media to normalize domestic violence against wives, spreading ideas that destroy the Egyptian family — the pillar of society.
Ezz’s speech contradicts the Egyptian constitution and laws as well as the state’s approach towards achieving basics human rights through the [recently launched] National Strategy for Human Rights as well as Egypt’s Vision for 2030. Moreover, Ezz’s speech aims at deteriorating the country’s efforts to empower Egyptian women socially, politically, and economically. At this moment, the Egyptian state is making great efforts in various national projects, including the national project for the development of the Egyptian family.
Yasmine Ezz also deliberately spreads ignorance and rumors by claiming transmitted sayings and publishing them as scientific theories that she claims to be the only one who studied, such as “the winter sound and the summer sound” and other incomprehensible phrases.
All these statements fall beyond the realm of freedom of opinion for being sinful acts and considered crimes under the Penal Code, according to Articles 86 bis, 98 B, 171, 188, 308, and Articles 25, 34 of Law No. 175 of 2018 regarding combating information technology crimes.
In her complaint, Nehad Abulkomsan calls the Public Prosecutor for the intervention of the National Council for Women, the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, the Media Syndicate, the President of the National Media Authority, and the President of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation.
Abulkomsan also calls for all women and men wishing to join the complaint with No. 1958 of 2023.
