Egyptian Editor & Writer Charged For Publishing "Sexual Lust and Transient Pleasures" Material

The times they are a changing, or rather reverting back as Egypt’s prosecution referred a writer and editor to criminal court on Saturday, over charges of publishing material that “violates general morals and encourages indecent sexual behaviour."

According to Al-Ahram, literary journal Akhbar Al-Adab has been under fire since August after running a chapter from Ahmed Nagy’s soon to be released novel The Guide For Using Life. Originally published by Akhbar Al-Youm, the prosecution has charged Nagy for writing material that expresses “sexual lust and transient pleasures, using his pen to express wicked intents, thus violating societal norms of decency and inciting promiscuity.”

Trying to save face, the editor-in-chief of the journal, Tarek El-Taher, is attempting to wipe his hands clean of the situation allegedly telling prosecution that he only read the headline and that “he would not have published it if he read it all.” Nevertheless the prosecution has decided to charge with failing to review published content.

As it stands the book will reportedly be published soon by Al-Tanweer Publishing House, however it is unclear at this time if the result of this trial will hinder it releases.