“I am not here to defend myself and I cannot be guilty unless the prosecution says so,” renowned movie director Khaled Youssef said in a TV interview on Al-Nahar private channel, in response to recent accusations from controversial TV presenter Ahmed Moussa.
During his TV programme “Ala Masoolity” Monday, Ahmed Moussa showed “defamatory” images of Youssef, claiming they were his and that he had more “scandalous photos and videos” in his possession.
Youssef, who is now a parliamentary member, said: “I already filed a report in the prosecution against all those who distorted my reputation,” however not mentioning the names of those he filed the report against.
Last week, the dean of the Faculty of Arts at Alexandria University accused Youssef of harassing his wife, which sparked media uproar. Moussa had also broadcast this news on his programme.
The Cinema Syndicate and the Creativity Front released a statement on Tuesday in solidarity with Youssef.
The statement accused Moussa’s actions of creating “propaganda” in a manner that is completely at odds with the standards of media objectivity and professionalism.
The statement further noted that Moussa’s intent is to “defame” Youssef, who will represent the Egyptian arts in the upcoming parliament.
