The editor of Egypt’s An Nabaa tabloid, which has become embroiled in a headline sex scandal involving a former Coptic monk, received a three-year jail sentence on Sunday for “disturbing public security and contempt of religions.”
The verdict, issued by the State Security court, cannot be appealed.
Coptic lawyers voiced satisfaction over the ruling.
His lawyers had challenged the legality of trying their client in the state security court.
The defendant drew the wrath of authorities for publishing an article depicting the sexual antics of a former Coptic monk, which sparked violent protests in the minority Christian community.
Observers say the key issue that underlined the trial was the uneasy state of relations between Muslims and Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority, who make up about 10 percent of the population.
The government is keen to avoid the riots and massacres that have in some instances followed frictions between the two communities.
Nabih Al Wahsh, a member of the committee defending Mahran, has told Albawaba.com that his group had presented a detailed memorandum to the court asserting that a 1981 resolution regarding a state of emergency in Egypt, which permits the trial of citizens before emergency courts, was unconstitutional.
Wahsh said that first of all, the length of time the resolution was to be in effect was not defined when it was issued.
He also pointed out that the resolution was not approved by two-thirds of Parliament at the time, adding that MPs at that time had restricted the application of the resolution to terrorism and drug cases.
However, hundreds of members of Islamist groups have also been tried before emergency and military courts over the past few years.
The lawyer pointed out that the crimes for which Mahran is being tried should be based on clauses of the Egyptian Penal Code that are considered ordinary crimes.
In early August, an Egyptian court threw out a decision by the press association to revoke the membership of Mahran.
An Nabaa's was blamed for rocking already delicate relations between Christians and Muslims.
According to press reports, the court said the union's decision to expel Mahran and his son Hatem violated the law.
In an urgent session on June 22, the council of the Egyptian Press Association decided to revoke the membership of Mahran and his son.
But the decision was not based of the publishing of the sex scandal article. Rather, it was based on an article in the association’s bylaws that prohibits members from owning shares in newspapers, Yahya Qallash, secretary general of the union, earlier told Albawaba.com - Albawaba.com
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