An Egyptian court sentenced a TV host to a year of hard labor after he interviewed a gay man on TV.
Mohamed al-Ghiety, who was charged with “promoting homosexuality,” must also pay a fine of 3,000 Egyptian pounds, which comes to about $167 and will have to go under a year of surveillance after his sentence, according to the BBC.
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During the August interview on his privately owned channel, Ghiety interviewed a gay man who discussed his life as a sex worker and expressed regret for his sexuality. The man’s identity was concealed during the broadcast.
Ghiety was sued by Samir Sabry, a lawyer with a propensity for suing celebrities. Sabry argued that Ghiety showed that “practicing homosexuality” could be financially lucrative.
LTC TV was taken off of the air by Egypt’s media council for two weeks after the sentencing on the grounds of “professional violations.” That same media council outlawed the appearance of gay people on any outlet following a concert where a rainbow flag was seen.
Sabry said Ghiety could appeal the decision.
