On 30 May, Egyptian TV presenter Islam al-Beheiry was sentenced (in absentia) to five years in prison with labour for ‘contempt of religion’.
The charge comes with the right to appeal, although Beheiry has yet to do so. In addition to this sentence, Beheiry also faces a further two trials for the same charge, one of which was filed by the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar.
Islam al-Beheiry presented ‘With Islam’, a religious talk show that debated such topics as punishment for apostasy, early marriage and the teachings of Muhammad. Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s foremost religious institution, filed accusations against Beheiry that included propagating extremist ideology, insulting Islamic scholars, attempting to destabilise national peace and broadcasting ideas that affect ‘the fundamentals of religion’.
