A State Security Misdemeanor Court for Urgent Matters sentenced on Saturday Egyptian lawyer Nabih El-Wahsh to three years in jail in absentia for inciting sexual harassment and rape against women who wear "revealing ripped pants."

The court, which also fined El-Wahsh EGP 20,000,has set bail at EGP 10,000 pending appeal.

Last month, the prosecution charged El-Wahsh with disrupting public peace and harming the public interest after he said on a TV programme that it is a “public duty” for men to rape women who wear ripped jeans that “expose their posterior.”

El-Wahsh made the comments when he appeared as a guest on a show on Al-Assema TV channel to discuss laws to combat prostitution and debauchery.

El-Wahsh's statements sparked outrage among many in the country, including female MPs who condemned his comments in a statement.

In 2014, the Egyptian penal code criminalized sexual harassment, which has been a widespread phenomenon for a number of years in the country, and stipulated punishments for perpetrators, including jail sentences and fines. The law also punishes those who commit sexual assault with 3-7 years in jail.