Rania Youssef, an Egyptian actress who wore a revealing dress to the Cairo Film Festival is to go on trial on charges of “inciting debauchery”.
Youssef appeared in a lacy, black, see-through outfit that exposed most of her legs, outraging many Egyptians, though some said she should be able to wear what she wanted. She could be jailed for up to five years if found guilty, a judicial source told AFP.
The 44-year-old said she would not have worn the dress if she had known it would cause such controversy. The charges were brought by two lawyers Amro Abdelsalam and Samir Sabri, who are known for taking celebrities to court.
Youssef’s appearance “did not meet societal values, traditions and morals and therefore undermined the reputation of the festival and the reputation of Egyptian women in particular”, Mr Sabri told AFP.
The Egyptian Actors’ Syndicate also criticised the “appearance of some of the guests”, which it said “undermined the festival and the union”. In a social media post, the actress said she had “probably miscalculated” in choosing to wear the dress. “It was the first time that I wore it and I did not realise it would spark so much anger. I reaffirm my commitment to the values upon which we were raised in Egyptian society,” she said.
