Taymour El-Sobky, who is accused of “spreading false news that disturbs public peace”, stood on his first trial session Saturday in 6th of October City.
The trial was held in attendance of the defendant after he declared his surrender to authorities on 18 February following controversy on social media and in Upper Egypt.
The origins of the incident date back to when Taymour was a guest with TV anchor Khairy to discuss matters related to women, marriage, and his page, on which he claimed that adultery is common among women in the country’s conservative south. He said nearly a third of Egyptian women were unfaithful to their husbands.
“Many women cheat on their husbands … I can say that 30% of women are ready to deviate,” Taymour said during the interview, pointing to the southern cities of Qena, Sohag, Minya, Luxor, Assuit, and Aswan.
Uproar over the statement has led to the cancellation of the talk-show which is aired on private satellite channel CBC.
Taymour, who runs a satirical Facebook page called “Diary of Crushed Husband” which has nearly two million fans, hurriedly backtracked on the claim after the interview on the talk-show spread on social media. The state media authorities have banned the talk-show after complaints about the comments.
“I didn’t mean these words insulting Upper Egypt’s women, my words have been taken out of context , my mother is from Qena and I owe all respect to all Upper Egypt’s women,” Taymour said in a video published on his Facebook page.
Four men from Upper Egypt were dismissed from the trial as they were suspected to be attending the session to kill Taymour, but after questioning it was revealed that all they wanted to do was gloat and watch Taymour go to prison.
