NEWS

Egypt: Classic book faces ban
A team of lawyers called for the ban of Arabic classic A Thousand and One Nights on 17 April. The lawyers, from the “Actio popularis” group, filed a complaint with the prosecutor general, demanding that the book be confiscated and its publishers face imprisonment. Following a series of so-called Hesba lawsuits that have targeted writers, […]
27 Apr 10

A team of lawyers called for the ban of Arabic classic A Thousand and One Nights on 17 April. The lawyers, from the “Actio popularis” group, filed a complaint with the prosecutor general, demanding that the book be confiscated and its publishers face imprisonment. Following a series of so-called Hesba lawsuits that have targeted writers, poets and filmmakers, the lawyers  invoked article 178 of the penal code, which states that publishing material considered to be “offensive to public decency” is punishable by up to two years in prison. On 7 April, the state-run magazine Ibdaa closed after a Hesba lawyer claimed it published a poem insulting God.

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At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

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At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

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