POPULAR Egyptian songstress Sherine Abdel Wahab is facing legal action for allegedly defaming her country during a concert in Bahrain last week.
Lawyer Dr Samir Sabri filed an urgent case, accusing her of “insulting Egypt”, “spreading false news” and “inviting suspicious human rights organisations to interfere in Egypt’s affairs”.
The lawyer quoted the singer as saying during a concert in Bahrain last Thursday: “Okay, here I can speak freely, because in Egypt anyone who speaks goes to prison.”
Dr Sabri accused Ms Abdel Wahab of sullying the reputation of her country in the Arab region and the world, inviting hostile watchdogs to interfere in Egypt’s internal affairs and spreading lies.
He urged the Public Prosecutor to sue the singer, hear the testimony of those who attended the concert in Bahrain and put her on an urgent trial before the criminal court.
Ms Abdel Wahab faced trial previously after she said the Nile’s water was unfit to drink and would lead to illness.
She was on stage in the UAE in 2017 when a fan asked her to sing one of her famous songs, Have You Drunk from the Nile?, she replied: “No, you’ll get bilharzia! Drink Evian, it’s better.”
Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever and bilharzia, is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The urinary tract or the intestines may be infected. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine.
The singer was put on trial in December 2017 on charges of “harming the public interest” after the Musicians Syndicate in Egypt said it would bar her from performing in the country over the remarks.
She was sentenced to six months in prison in February last year but was acquitted on appeal in May.
She was also the talk of the town for dropping another comment described as “offensive to Egypt” during a New Year’s Eve performance.
Dr Sabri reported her for a “joke” she made during a concert during which she reportedly said, “I am such a waste on Egypt.”
The lawyer, well known for filing legal complaints against high-profile figures for inciting debauchery, said the singer insulted Egypt in her comments.