The Cinema Syndicate and the Creativity Front released a statement on Tuesday in solidarity with film director and elected member of parliament Khaled Youssef, in response to recent accusations from controversial TV presenter Ahmed Moussa.
During his TV programme “Ala Masoolity” on Monday, Moussa showed “defamatory” images of Youssef, claiming they belonged to the movie director and stating that he had more “scandalous photos and videos” in his possession.
Moussa urged Youssef to respond regarding the veracity of the photographs, clarifying for the audience whether they were real or fabricated. He further urged the prosecutor general to investigate the matter.
A statement released on Tuesday by the Cinema Syndicate and the Creativity Front condemned Moussa’s actions, accusing him of creating “propaganda” in a manner that is completely at odds with the standards of media objectivity and professionalism.
The statement further noted that Moussa’s intent is to “defame” Youssef, who will represent the Egyptian arts in the upcoming parliament.
Creative professionals are calling on the prosecutor general to immediately investigate the complaint submitted against Youssef, allowing the judiciary to arbitrate between them, which would serve as “a lesson to those who gave themselves the right to invade people’s privacy or defame them,” the statement read.
Social media users also expressed their rejection of the accusations directed at Youssef, criticising Moussa and expressing their solidarity with Youssef through the hash-tag #Stop_Ahmed_Mousa. They called for Moussa to be banned from broadcasting on TV.
The parliamentarian and chairman of Al-Bawaba newspaper, Abdel Rehim Ali, announced his solidarity with Youssef, saying the incident is not condoned by any religion or law, and that people’s private lives are protected by the constitution, according to Al-Bawaba newspaper’s official website.
Last week, the dean of the Faculty of Arts at Alexandria University accused Youssef of harassing his wife, which sparked media uproar. Moussa had also broadcast this news on his programme.
Two days ago, Youssef declared his innocence of the allegations in a meeting with the TV presenter Ramy Radwan, on the “El-Beit Beitak” programme.
Youssef said he is ready to relinquish his parliamentary immunity and attend the prosecution investigation, describing the allegations as attempts to create publicity at his expense.
