TV host Mona Iraqi (Photo: Courtesy of Mona Iraqi Facebook)
A Cairo court ruled on Thursday a six month jail sentence for controversial television presenter Mona Iraqi for defaming and spreading lies about a number of men in the central Cairo bathhouse incident.
The sentence follows a defamation case filed by the mens' defence team.
Iraqi was also ordered to pay bail of LE1,000 and a fine of LE10,000.
Iraqi still has the right to appeal against the ruling.
The general prosecution accused Iraqi of defaming a number of men who were charged with "debauchery" after a police raid on a central Cairo bathhouse, and broadcasting false news on Al-Qahera Wal Nas TV channel.
Twenty-six men were arrested and charged with debauchery — a term often used in Egyptian law to refer to homosexual conduct — along with other related charges.
Iraqi was photographed during the raid taking pictures of the men being dragged semi-naked out of the bathhouse by police, a scene that caused widespread controversy.
In January 2015, the men were all found innocent, with the court arguing that the evidence provided was not sufficient and that forensics showed no evidence that the accused had engaged in homosexual acts. A court later upheld their acquittal.
Tarek El-Awady, a defence lawyer for the men, told Ahram Online that they're planning to file a lawsuit calling for compensation from Iraqi.
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