He was serving a two-year sentence for references to sex and drugs in one of his novel.
Egypt’s appeals court suspended Ahmed Naji’s sentence and ruled to release him from prison ten months after the verdict had been pronounced. A court hearing on his case will be held on January 1. The court may decide to order a new trial or send Najiback to prison.
This is the third attempt to overturn Naji’s sentence made while he was in prison. Naji was formally charged and convicted under an article in the country’s penal code that criminalises art and printed works that “violate public morals”, as court finds. Many, however, think the real reason for his prosecution was his criticism of the government.
Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji was sentenced to two years in prison for “violating public morals” in February 2016 after publishing a novel called The Guide for Using Life that contained references to sex and drug use. An Egyptian citizen is reported to have complained to the law-enforcement agencies that an extract from the book gave him heart palpitations and a drop in blood pressure. But Naji’s supporters claim the charges and conviction were politically motivated.
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