Egyptian Press Council to file lawsuit to cancel Al-Naba'a license

The Supreme Council of the Press decided to file a lawsuit immediately with the State Council's Administrative Court demanding cancellation of Al-Naba'a newspaper publishing license.

In a meeting held late Tuesday under its chairman Moustafa Kamal Helmi, the council condemned pornographic pictures and paparazzi article about a sacked Christian monk of al-Moharaq monastery in Assuit, published by the weekly newspaper.

The council stressed that the paper flagrantly violated the morals and values of the Egyptian society and journalism code of ethics and in so doing tampered with national unity.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the council underlined that the newspaper has apparently aberrated from the "responsible" freedom of the press.

Prosecutors charged Mamdouh Mahran, editor of Al-Nabaa, with promoting sensational publicity, inciting contempt of a religious sect, publishing photos that ran contrary to public morality and publishing an article that could influence a branch of the judiciary, namely the state security which is currently investigating the ex-monk's case. Mahran will face trial next week.

Mahran's weekly Al-Nabaa ran an article and photos on Sunday alleging that a former monk ran a sex-and-blackmail ring at a monastery in Assiut, 300 kilometers (180 miles) south of Cairo.

The article sparked two days of protests by Coptic Christians in Cairo and Assiut.