The Central Cairo Prosecution ordered on Saturday the detention of television presenter Khairy Ramadan over a lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Interior accusing him of insulting the police during one of his talk show’s episodes.
Ramadan tackled the issue of police salaries on his show, through presenting the complaints of a woman saying she is the wife of a police officer and is suffering from life difficulties. He also hosted family members of police officers who lost their lives in an operation in Sinai. The episode stirred anger among police officers and their families.
The General Prosecution summoned Ramadan for investigations over charges stemming from an episode of his TV show “Egypt Today”, which aired on 3 March. Ramadan is currently detained pending investigations.
He has denied the charges against him, stressing that they were misinterpreted and that his speech was in the framework of standing behind the families of police martyrs.
On Wednesday, Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek issued a decision to monitor media outlets and social media platforms and prosecute them if found guilty of broadcasting lies and false news.
Sadek assigned prosecution officials of different circuits to follow local and international media outlets to check what is deliberately reported aiming to disturb public security or harm citizens and the country’s interests.
This came as a result of report published on Friday by the BBC about alleged cases of forced disappearances and torture carried out by Egyptian security forces.
