CAIRO (AP) – An Egyptian actress facing trial on public obscenity charges for wearing a dress revealing the entirety of her legs says she did not mean to offend anyone.
In a Facebook statement late Saturday, Rania Youssef says she may have misjudged the reaction to the dress and been influenced by fashion experts.
Youssef, due in court January 12th, wore the dress Thursday for the closing ceremony of a Cairo film festival. Images of her were widely shared on social media, prompting a group of lawyers to file a complaint that was taken up by the chief prosecutor.
It’s the latest instance of ostensibly secular authorities siding with religious conservatives in Muslim-majority Egypt, where the military overthrew an elected Islamist president in 2013.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.