An Egyptian actress who wore a revealing dress to the Cairo Film Festival is to go on trial on charges of “inciting debauchery”, reports say.
Rania 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.
Ms Youssef has apologised.
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.
Ms 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,” she said.
“I reaffirm my commitment to the values upon which we were raised in Egyptian society,” she added.
Last year an Egyptian court jailed singer Shaimaa Ahmed for two years – later reduced to a year – for appearing in a music video in her underwear while suggestively eating a banana.
Meanwhile in January prosecutors detained another singer, Laila Amer, after her music video, showing her dancing and making suggestive gestures, sparked controversy.
BBC Africa
