The Administrative Court has set 13 October as the date for a sentencing hearing for media personality Tawfiq Okasha.
A lawsuit had been filed by President Mohamed Morsy against Okasha, the owner of Al-Faraeen satellite channel, to demand that he cease broadcasts of his show “Egypt Today.” The lawsuit also lists the information minister, the chairman of the General Authority for Investment, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Radio and Television Union and the chairman of the Al-Faraeen satellite channel as witnesses in the case.
The lawsuit alleges Okasha exploited media to influence the electoral process, directs voters to choose a particular candidate and violates media ethics codes.
Morsy had filed the lawsuit against Okasha last May before the run-off round of the presidential elections, in which he competed against former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq. Morsy was officially announced president on 24 June, and was inaugurated at the end of the month as the first elected president of the country after the overthrow of the regime of ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
Okasha, who is known for his harsh criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood and its political rise since the 25 January revolution, has recently stepped up his criticism of Morsy, saying his presence in the presidential palace is illegal.
Authorities have suspended the Al-Faraeen satellite channel for a month and threatened to revoke the channel’s license if it did not make programming changes.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
