Egypt: Leading businessman to face trial over insulting Islam

Sawiris

A Cairo prosecutor has decided to refer Naguib Sawiris, a leading businessman, to trial for allegedly publishing cartoons offending Islam. Lawyer Mamdouh Ismail had filed a complaint against the telecom tycoon. The cartoon incident in June 2011 triggered a boycott by customers of Mobinil, a mobile phone company owned by Sawiris . The Coptic businessman is also a vocal critic of Islamist parties.

Mamdouh who is also a senior official in an Islamist party hailed the decision. "This is a fair decision of the prosecutor to refer Naguib Sawiris to trial." According to him, "the decision to refer Naguib Sawiris to the court confirms that we are already beginning to apply the rule of law and justice in the true sense of the word, and that there is no one above the rule of law."