CAIRO: The court postponed the appeal of Al-Jazeera producer Howayda Taha till Sept. 15. The court has transferred the documentary to a technical committee to examine the controversial scenes and determine if they were fabricated, Taha told The Daily Star Egypt.
The court will base its final decision on the committee’s report in September.
Taha was charged after working on a documentary about alleged police torture in Egypt. Last month, the judges decided on a six-month prison penalty with labor and a fine of LE 20,000.
“They should be making a decision on the appeal after the committee assesses the scenes in the documentary. But I am sure it will be a fair decision regardless, said Taha.
Ramdan Mohamed, Taha’s husband, told The Daily Star Egypt that he is optimistic the court will find Taha innocent in September’s session.
“I am expecting that the final decision on the appeal will be nothing but innocence for Howayda. I do not think there is valid evidence in the documentary to prove that it was fabricated, said Mohamed.
Taha was accused of harming national interest and tarnishing Egypt’s image after working on the documentary, called “Wara El Shams or “Beyond the Sun. She was detained at Cairo International Airport as she waited to board a plane for Doha on January 8. Her controversial film was aired on Al-Jazeera Documentary channel this past April.
Taha is now working on a new documentary entitled “One Hundred years of Women in Egyptian Cinema.
