An Egyptian TV host, Mohamed Al-Gheiti, who interviewed a gay man on his television show to discuss homos*xuality, despite previously expressing his stance against same-s*x couples, has been sentenced to one year in prison.
Mohamed al-Gheiti, who has expressed his stance against homos*xuality on several occasions, was accused of promoting homos*xuality and contempt of religion.
The misdemeanors court in Giza also fined him 3,000 Egyptian pounds and ordered he be put under surveillance for one year after serving his sentence, said Samir Sabri, the lawyer who brought the case against him.
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The verdict can be appealed, and it can be suspended if Gheiti pays bail of 1,000 pounds pending the outcome of the appeal, said Sabri. In August 2018, Gheiti hosted a gay man on his talk show on the private LTC TV station and discussed homos*xuality on air.
During the interview, the gay man, whose face was blurred to hide his identity, said he was a s-x worker and openly talked about his relationship with another man.
After the interview was aired, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, Egypt’s top media body, suspended the channel for two weeks for ‘professional violations’.
In a statement at the time, the council said the LTC TV had violated its decision ‘banning the appearance of homos*xuals or promotion of their slogans’.
The council banned the appearance of homos*xuals on any outlet after a rainbow flag – symbolic of the lesbian, gay, bis*xual and transgender community – was waved during a Cairo concert in 2017.