Tawfiq Okasha
Artist: Tawfiq Okasha
Year: 2012
Date of Action: August 2012
Region:
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Subject: Political/Economic/Social Opinion
Medium: Television
Confronting Bodies: The Government of Egypt
Description of Artwork: Tawfiq Okasha was a talk show host and owner of Al-Faraeen satellite channel. Okasha often expressed strong anti-Morsy (Egypt's first president after Mubarak's regime was toppled in 2011.
The Incident: Okasha's channel was put on hiatus for one month, and Okasha is facing charges for "broadcasting anti-Muslim Brotherhood content, as well as inciting President Mohamed Morsy's assassination, slander, broadcasting false information, disturbing public safety and intimidating citizens." [1]
Results of Incident: On 22 October 2012, Okasha was convicted of insulting President Mohamed Mursi and sentenced to a four-month jail term and a fine of 100 Egyptian pounds (US$16.39). Okasha remained free while appealing the sentence. Amnesty International protested the conviction, calling it "a further blow to freedom of expression" and noting that the organization would consider Okasha a prisoner of conscience were he imprisoned on this basis.
Source:
• http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/rights-group-urges-lawyers-defend-okasha
See also http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/okasha-s-trial-set-1-september and http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/okasha-under-investigation-his-tv-channel-suspended
Egypt TV host gets jail term for insulting president
Egypt: Broadcaster’s conviction another blow to freedom of expression
